Wolfson Team Covers the Bases for Aspidistra

• Email
• Print
• Tweet

Trainer Marty Wolfson has won the $75,000 Aspidistra Handicap four times before and has entered a team of four fillies and mares in a bid for a fifth victory in the one mile turf course test Saturday at Calder Race Course.

A total of 14 runners has been entered, but weather conditions will determine the final count going postward with several designated as "main track only" horses. If the race goes on turf as scheduled, J.D. Scott's 5-year-old Bay Street Gal will be the highweight at 117 pounds under jockey Cornelio Velasquez.

Trained by Enrique Alonso, Bay Street Gal is versatile and will likely go on turf or dirt, but her chances on grass appear much better. The daughter of Marco Bay beat a strong field to win the $100,000 One Dreamer Handicap at Gulfstream in late March and finished a close-up fourth last out behind Wander Mom in a division of the Powder Break overnight handicap in April.

The Wolfson quartet is comprised of Stud El Aguila's Banderia, Manoel Cruz; Patricia Pavlish's Bail Money, Hector Torres; Kingstonion Stable's Cee Knows Evil, Cruz‚ first call; and Town and Country Corp.'s Coolbythepool, Julio Garcia.

Bail Money and Cee Knows Evil are Wolfson's best hopes on turf while Coolbythepool and Banderia would be an imposing entry on the main track. Bail Money is a 6-year-old daughter of St. Jovite and finished an even fourth last out behind Jennasietta in the Calder Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Coolbythepool is a 5-year-old daughter of Notebook and strictly a main track performer. Winner of the Shocker T. Handicap here last fall, she has been a leader in her division the last two years and has won the Nancy's Glitter Handicap and Georgia On My Mind Handicap at the current meet.

Completing the 12 in the body of the field are Castlebrook, Rosemary Homeister Jr.; Sea Mist, Carlos Gonzalez; Diablosangeleyes, Abel Castellano Jr.; Pageant Baby, Manuel Aguilar; Vidlocity, Jeremy Beasley; Sierra Lady, Carlos Hernandez; and Rocky North, Homeister's first call. Vague Memory, Julio Garcia on a double call, and Multiplicity, Eduardo Nunez, are also-eligibles.

Herb and Ione Elkins' Castlebrook has been Coolbythepool's major rival the last two seasons here in main track middle distance tests. Trained by Bill Kaplan, the 5-year-old daughter of Montbrook finished third last out to Wolfson-trained Banderia in an overnight handicap after having beaten that rival in the Hurricane Viv in the race before.

Robert Bakerman's Vague Memory is an intriguing prospect if the race goes on the main track. The 5-year-old daughter of Ward Off Trouble has made her reputation as a sprinter during a career highlighted by her upset victory late last year over Gold Mover in the seven-furlong Chaposa Springs Handicap (gr. III).

Trained by Rudy Wolfendale, Vague Memory finished a dull sixth behind Gold Mover and Xtra Heat in the Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. II) last out here on July 13 after pushing Xtra Heat through a very fast first quarter in :21 2/5. The Florida homebred chestnut ran well last year in the 1 1/16-mile Shocker T. behind Coolbythepool and Happily Unbridled.

• Email
• Print
• Tweet