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CALDER NOTEBOOK JULY 2, 2010 Calder prepares for Summit of Speed next Weekend Seven stakes races, including four graded events, worth a total of $1.35 million will be run next Saturday, July 10, at Calder Casino & Race Course as the annual Summit of Speed program will once again host horsemen from major racing centers coast-to-coast shipping in for the rich events that have showcased stars like Orientate, Lost in the Fog, Madcap Escapade, Maryfield and Benny the Bull in recent years. D' Funnybone (D'wildcat) and Hour Glass (Petionville) are among the prominent shippers expected for this year's renewal, and trainers such as Todd Pletcher, Rick Dutrow, Eddie Kenneally and Bob Baffert are expected to ship in to face a strong Calder home team that is led by Big Drama (Montbrook), Mambo Meister (King Cugat), First Passage (Giant's Causeway) and Pica Slew (Pico Central [Brz]). Track conditions over the years on Summit day have varied between wet and fast with advantage to speed more often than closers, and speed played very well during the four racings days last week, beginning on Thursday when the winners of four of the seven main track sprint races went wire-to-wire while the other three were never more than a length off the pace and in front on the far turn. The trend continued on Friday and Saturday in the main track sprints while a closer had a better chance in two-turn races. A limited number of turf races run over the four days generally left the impression that there was no clear advantage with the best horses prevailing. While most of the focus on Summit day will be on the four graded stakes, the companion two-year-old events worth $100,000 each deserve attention. Last year, emerging juvenile stars Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil) and D' Funnybone finished one-two in the Frank Gomez Memorial. Saez extends lead; loses Apprentice allowance Panamanian-born, 18-year-old jockey Luis Saez has drawn off to lead the Calder standings by 15 over 40-year-old veteran and defending meet champion Manoel Cruz at 64-49 after more than two months of the session, but Saez faces the test all promising young riders do as he has completed his apprenticeship. Saez has shown enough talent and poise to make him odds-on to follow a long line of prospects that went on to become stars after a similar transition here over the years, including Eibar Coa, Eddie Castro and Paco Lopez to name a few. Ranking a clear third in the standings is 21-year-old Panamanian apprentice Angel Moreno with 31 tallies and he too appears to have a future. While the top three riders are well ahead of their rivals in the room, the competition among trainers at this meet continues wide-open with more than a dozen atop the leader board separated by just four wins. Steve DiMauro leads with 12, one more than Chris Gatis second with 11, followed by a four-way tie for third at 10 between Bill White, Fred Warren, Bill Kaplan and Tim Ritvo. HORSES TO WATCH Thursday (6/24) 1ST -- SWEET N NUTTY (Sweetsouthernsaint) was 4-5 dropping in for $16,000 from two good tries finishing third for $25,000, but had only one beat after the first quarter going 4 1/2 furlongs. Rallied for second on a track where the winner went wire-to-wire alone on the lead on a speed-favoring day. Friday (6/25) 10TH -- CHISTOSA (Black Mambo) finished fifth in this off-the-turf event on track rated "good" and was steadied in the stretch while her rider "lost whip." This filly out of a good producer and has flashed ability out of a quality barn -- a better day almost certainly is ahead. Sunday (6/27) 6TH -- DANCING RAGE (Sligo Bay [Ire]) is a confirmed closer and had little chance in this spot, finishing eighth of 10 as solid contenders got away with slow fractions of :49 and 1:13 on "firm" turf in a solid field of overnight stakes performers. A little faster pace and softer spot will do the trick.
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