Summit of Speed Rates ‘S’ for Super


The fifth Summit of Speed at Calder Race Course is fast becoming the premier race day for sprinters. The July 10 card of six stakes worth $1.75 million is no different.

Twenty-five speedsters 3-years-old and up are nominated for the $500,000 Smile Sprint Handicap at six furlongs that last year was won by Shake You Down.

Trainer Todd Pletcher hopes to have Alke make his first start since finishing second to Our New Recruit in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 27. The son of Grand Slam had won four straight, including a victory over 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Cajun Beat in Gulfstream's Deputy Minister Handicap in February.

Pletcher, who plans to enter runners in four races that Saturday, also nominated stakes winners Speightstown, Strong Hope and Lion Tamer. Bull Market or Apalachian Thunder could represent trainer Bob Baffert.

Another possibility is Champali, winner of the Aristides Handicap at Churchill Downs over Beau's Town in his last start for trainer Greg Foley. Valid Video, who last year defeated Cajun Beat in the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes for 3-year-olds, will go for trainer Dennis Manning. He was second in the James B. Moseley Breeders' Cup at Suffolk Downs on June 19.

Bear Fan, trained by Wesley Ward, goes for his fifth in a row in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

That's probably why only 10 others were nominated to challenge the 5-year-old daughter of Pine Bluff. Her main opposition could be Lady Tak and Harmony Lodge, both Grade 1 winners.

Lady Tak, trained by Steve Asmussen, comes off a pair of victories in her last two starts at Churchill Downs. Pletcher's Harmony Lodge finished third in the 2003 Princess Rooney captured by two-time winner Gold Mover. Another accomplished nominee is Ema Bovary, trained by Larry Ross, who had her 10-race winning streak snapped in the Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Pletcher also has a trio of 3-year-olds nominated for the six-furlong Carry Back, but says his designated runner will be lightly raced Forest Danger, who won is first three and then finished second stretching out to a mile in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on May 1.

Ice Wynnd Fire began his career last fall at Calder before being sent to trainer Bobby Frankel in California. After losing two photo finishes at Santa Anita, the Northern Afleet gelding scored an impressive five-length allowance triumph on June 20 at Belmont.
The copyright of the article Summit of Speed Rates ‘S’ for Super in Horse Racing is owned by Greg Melikov. Permission to republish Summit of Speed Rates ‘S’ for Super in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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