Trainer Marty Wolfson, winner of a record three editions of the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I), has entered a volley of five for this year's July 6 edition at Calder Casino & Race Course—but his quintet will face the rest of a 13-horse field that includes Reneesgotzip, Judy the Beauty, and Holiday Soiree.
Although the Lanni Family Trust's California-based Reneesgotzip is the class of the field, she comes off a six-month layup for a late beginning to the 2013 season while making her first start outside the Golden State. The 4-year-old City Zip filly was runner-up to Book Review by a neck in the Dec. 26 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park in her most recent start, having won the Dec. 1 Skillful Joy at Betfair Hollywood Park after finishing third against boys in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) for trainer Peter Miller.
Wolfson's five for the six-furlong Princess Rooney, Race 10 of 11 with an approximate post time of 4:35 p.m. EDT on the card for the Calder Summit of Speed, are multiple stakes winners Spectacular Sky and Starship Truffles, stakes-placed Oh Carole, and allowance winners Givhans Ferry and Centrique—the latter cross-entered in the $100,000 Hollywood Wildcat Stakes going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf at 5:20 p.m.
Wolfson also has Ann of the Dance, Lexington Pearl, and Canadian Mistress in the Hollywood Wildcat, and will saddle Simmstown in the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Stakes, By Golly Molly in the Azelea Stakes (gr. III), and Swagger Jack in the Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. II).
Spectacular Sky looks to improve upon a fifth-place finish in the May 18 Vagrancy Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park, where she broke through the gate before the start, then pressed the pace and weakened. The 5-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa was second three lengths behind Aubby K in the March 17 Inside Information (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, that runner-up effort after a gate-to-wire victory in the Feb. 9 Manatee Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. She has four stakes wins for Miller Racing to her name and won three straight races at Calder last year, although in the 2012 edition of the Princess Rooney won by Musical Romance, she finished 11th and last of all.
Chasing Tail Stables' Starship Truffles, who won her first stakes in the April 20 Musical Romance at 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track, was a 10-length winner of a June 29 optional claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Calder last time out. The 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly seeks her first graded stakes win; her only effort in such company thus far resulted in a ninth in the Inside Information.
Oh Carole was claimed from Lally Stable and Eddie Kenneally two starts back by Miller Racing, and has been second in both starts for Wolfson since then. A 5-year-old daughter of Unbridled's Song, she was slow at the start and just missed the June 8 U Can Do It Handicap going six furlongs at Calder last time out to fellow Princess Rooney contender Capitalism at Risk.
That was the first stakes score for Amaty Racing Stables' Capitalism at Risk, a 6-year-old Bull Market mare who took the victory by a nose after leading throughout. Capitalism at Risk worked a four furlong bullet in :47 flat on July 1 at Calder and comes into this event on a five-race winning streak, two of those victories earned for trainer Herman Wilensky after a transfer from the barn of Angel Quiroz.
Judy the Beauty comes off a runner-up finish 3/4 lengths behind Beat the Blues in the May 27 Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs and has never been worse than second in nine starts, with a 4-5 record. Wesley Ward owns and trains the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, who missed grade I status by a nose last summer when she was second to Emma's Encore in the Prioress Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. In that race she overcame a rough start to advance on the frontrunner, gained the lead in the final 70 yards, then was overtaken at the wire. In her final workout for the Princess Rooney, Judy the Beauty sped through five furlongs at Keeneland on June 25, earning a bullet with her workout time of :58.80.
Holiday Soiree is still in pursuit of her first graded stakes score for Run to Win Again Stable and Unlimited Equine, but has been competitive since entering the barn of trainer Tevis McCauley. The 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday runner was second behind Dance to Bristol in the April 20 Sugar Maple Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, then ran third in the May 4 Humana Distaff (gr. III) before finishing third in the May 27 Red Cross Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Sweet Cassiopeia earned her most recent stakes win for Dan Considine and Steve C. Snowden in the Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland on April 20. Tony's Investments' My Pal Chrisy has not returned to the winner's circle since cruising to a 7 1/4-length victory in the Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap at Calder last November.
Completing the field are Gillian S. Campbell and Clint Cornett's Givhans Ferry, who will race with blinkers off, Farnsworth Stables' Centrique, Ron Hendrickson's French Politics, and McCauley's also-eligible Costly.
$350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I, Race 10, approximate post time 4:35 p.m. EDT), fillies & mares 3YOs & Up, 6 furlongs (dirt)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
