Calibrachoa defends title in Toboggan

Repole Stable's Calibrachoa overcame a stumbling start to post a second

consecutive victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000

Toboggan at Aqueduct, a

six-furlong inner dirt dash for older horses. Settled in second by jockey

Cornelio Velasquez after recovering from the break, the five-year-old caught the

pacesetting longshot Diski Dance with just over a furlong remaining and pulled

away to an easy 2 1/4-length triumph. Final time over a fast track was 1:09 2/5.

Calibrachoa paid $2.90, $2.10 and $2.10 as part of the 4-5 favored entry.

"First jump out of the gate, he stumbled, but he stayed in the race,"

Velasquez said. "I stayed right there in second easy, and waited until the last

three-sixteenths. I asked him, and he passed. I had a lot of horse. He was the

best horse in the race."

Diski Dance, sent off at 19-1, was an admirable second after setting splits

of :23 1/5 and :46. He held second by three parts of a length over Caixa

Eletronica, the entrymate of Calibrachoa, who was in a bit tight down the

backside but finished well after falling behind early. The order of finish was

rounded out by Candyman E, Flat Bold, Rule by Night and Dr Disco. J J's Lucky

Train was scratched.

In a race that dates to 1890, the Toboggan had previously been won

back-to-back by Octagon (1898-98), High Noon (1915-16), Osmand (1928-29), Okapi

(1933-34), Eight Thirty (1940-41), Devil Diver (1943-44), Rippey (1948-49) and

Affirmed Success (2002-03).

Initially campaigned by breeder Nelson Bunker Hunt, Calibrachoa was claimed

by his present connections for $40,000 on November 18, 2010. He's now won five

times in nine starts for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, including

the 2010 Gravesend and the 2011 editions of the Toboggan, Grade 3 Tom Fool

Handicap and Grade 3 Bold Ruler. He also placed third last season in the Grade 1

Cigar Mile Handicap, Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Grade 2 True

North Handicap. Now a perfect four-for-four over Aqueduct's inner dirt, his

career mark now reads 19-9-3-4, $546,040.

"We'll look at the Tom Fool (on March 3)," Pletcher said. "He's so good at

Aqueduct we have to look at it."

Pletcher added that Grade 3 winner Caixa Eletronica would likely head to the

Grade 2 General George Handicap at Laurel.

A Kentucky-bred, Calibrachoa was produced by the Grade 2-placed Fort

Lauderdale, a daughter of Montbrook who is a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1

winner and sire Bellamy Road. Members of this extended family include Grade 1

winners General Assembly, Versailles Treaty and Gold Fever.