Mauralakana stars on Turf Million Day

Mauralakana outdueled rival J'ray in the Mairzy Doates (Jim Lisa Photos)

Robert Scarborough's MAURALAKANA (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) mastered a stubborn

J'ray (Distant View) to garner the inaugural running of the $300,000

Mairzy Doates H. on Saturday, kicking off Calder's first-ever Turf Million

program. The Mairzy Doates was one of four stakes, worth a total of $1.15

million, on the card.

The 1 3/8-mile Mairzy Doates played out according to form, with the two top

mares on paper fighting out the finish on the course. Mauralakana, the 4-5

favorite, was reserved in sixth early by a confident Rene Douglas. Meanwhile, an

eager Eclisse (Fr) (Ski Chief) sprinted out to a clear lead through fractions of

:48 2/5, 1:14 and 1:38 1/5. Turning for home, the hitherto stalking J'ray

pounced on the pacesetter and drove to the front. The patient Douglas followed

her aboard Mauralakana, peeled to the outside in the stretch, and took aim.

J'ray soldiered on, but Mauralakana had too much firepower and went on to subdue

her rival by three-quarters of a length.

"It was just a matter of moving at the right moment," Douglas said. "When I

turned her loose at the head of the stretch, I knew we were going to win. She

lengthens her stride so much when you need her to, that you get very confident

in what she can accomplish."

Ginger Brew flew home in the Calder Oaks (Jim Lisa Photos)

The positive trend toward favorites continued in the $200,000

Calder

Oaks, as 2-1 choice GINGER BREW (Milwaukee Brew) rallied to a 1 1/4-length

decision in her stakes bow. A Stronach Stables homebred conditioned by Brian

Lynch, Ginger Brew secured an outside tracking trip beneath Javier Castellano.

The longest shot on the board, the 52-1 Encanto Park (Exchange Rate), showed the

way while carving out splits of :23 3/5, :48 1/5 and 1:11 2/5, and the

upset-minded filly tried to hold on in the stretch. Ginger Brew was full of run,

however, and stormed home late to put the outsider in her place. The chestnut

completed 1 1/8 grassy miles in 1:47 1/5, more than doubling her earnings to

$199,566 from her 5-3-2-0 line. Ginger Brew returned $6.20, $2.80 and $2.80

while keying the $20 exacta, $289.40 trifecta and $1,050.40 (2-5-9-1 superfecta).

Life Is Sweet (Storm Cat), the 2-1 second choice, endured a troubled start

that relegated her to a position near the back of the pack early. She made

eye-catching progress in deep stretch to take home runner-up honors by 2 1/2

lengths. Encanto Park held third by a half-length from Shes All Eltish (Eltish).

It was no secret who won the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint (Jim Lisa Photos)

Wrapping up the Turf Million festivities was the $214,500

Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Championship H., which put an end to the good

fortune of favorites. Clement's In Summation (Put It Back) was dispatched as the

6-5 choice to give his conditioner his third stakes win of the day, but he never

landed a blow from off the pace and wound up sixth. Instead, Balkrisna

Sukharan's speed machine LOOKINFORTHESECRET (Cimarron Secret) ran his rivals

ragged from the opening bell to bag his biggest career victory. With Daniel

Centeno in the irons, the Jamie Ness charge set torrid fractions of :21 1/5 and

:43 1/5 before blitzing five furlongs in :55. Leaving the gate at 6-1,

Lookinforthesecret yielded $14.60, $9.20 and $3.40.

"You would think that five furlongs is not his distance since he is such a

big horse," Centeno said, "but he just exploded out of the gate and blew the

other speed horses away. He was extra sharp today."

Not Acclaim (Awesome Again) gave game chase throughout and checked in 1 1/2

lengths astern of the winner. It was another three-quarters of a length back to

Heros Reward (Partner's Hero) in third. The exacta paid $306.40, the trifecta

$2,078, and with Lord Robyn (Robyn Dancer) in fourth, the 4-10-9-5 superfecta

was worth $22,676.

Lookinforthesecret now boasts seven stakes scores, including this year's Super

S., Pelican S. and a successful title defense in the Turf Dash S. In his prior

start, he finished runner-up in the Florida Cup Sprint S. for the second straight year, a

loss that snapped a five-race winning streak. The reformed claimer, who was

haltered by Ness for $12,500 in January 2007, improved his record to 33-17-7-1,

$512,918.