Calder To Offer Record Stakes Schedule in '03

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Calder Race Course will offer record stakes schedules for both the Calder and Tropical meets in 2003. At $5.7 million and $2.8 million, respectively, both meets will offer the highest total stakes purses in the track's 32-year history.

Substantial purse increases were made to stakes on Summit of Speed day, to be held this year on July 12. The Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. II) and Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. III) are now each worth $500,000, while the Azalea Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) and Carry Back Stakes (gr. III) have been boosted to $300,000 apiece.
The $100,000 Calder Turf Sprint and the unique 2-furlong $50,000 Rocket Man Stakes round out the richest day of sprint stakes in the country, which totals $1.7 million in stakes alone. Eclipse Award winner Orientate won the 2002 Smile Sprint Handicap before going on to win the Breeders‚ Cup Sprint and secure his place on the roster of champions.

Calder will present the 12th renewal of the Festival of the Sun this year on Oct. 11. The day offers $1.55 million in stakes races and features the rich finals of the Florida Stallion Stakes program, the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl divisions. Victors of those races last year, Trust N Luck and Ivanavinalot, are both on track for promising 3-year-old campaigns.

While the Summit of Speed and Festival of the Sun are major highlights of the Calder meet, the Tropical meet has three "packaged" events as well: The Florida Million (Nov. 15), Grand Slam I (Dec. 13) and Grand Slam II (Dec. 27). One of last year's inaugural Florida Million winners, Best of the Rest, most recently won the $1 million Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Classic during the Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The two Grand Slam events are annually two of the highest handle days at Tropical as they both offer four competitive stakes races, which also comprise the All-Stakes Pick 4 wager.

"Horsemen from all over the country are very aware of our stakes schedule," said racing secretary Robert Umphrey. "In a short amount of time, the Summit of Speed has become a huge event for Calder."

Complete 2003 Calder stakes schedule can be accessed at http://www.CalderRaceCourse.com/

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