Mad Flatter and Mambo Meister, the winners of the last two editions of the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap (gr. III), will face off again in the 1 1/16-mile race Oct. 15 at Calder Casino & Race Course.
Bonnie Heath Farm’s homebred Mad Flatter won last year’s Spend a Buck by 6 1/4 convincing lengths over runner-up Mambo Meister for his lone graded stakes victory. The 6-year-old Florida-bred son of Flatter has made the winner’s circle just once in six starts this season.
Quantum Racing Team #1’s Mambo Meister won the 2009 Spend a Buck for his first graded stakes victory. The 6-year-old gelding by King Cugat won two additional graded races in 2010 and has scored twice in five starts this year—both at Calder. In fact, all 11 of his career wins have come at his home track.
A field of seven was drawn for the Spend a Buck, which comes before the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby and the finales of the Florida Stallion Series for juveniles—the $300,000 My Dear Girl Stakes for fillies and $300,000 In Reality Stakes in the open division.
Jacks or Better Farm’s homebred Fort Loudon will be trying to sweep the open Florida Stallion Series after winning the first two legs for trainer Stanley Gold. Jacks or Better and Gold sent out Jackson Bend to sweep the open division in 2009 and eventual champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather to sweep the filly division a year ago en route to winning the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). Both Awesome Feather and Fort Loudon are homebreds by Awesome of Course.
Fort Loudon has won his last three starts and will be ridden once again by Luis Jurado. His stablemate, Argentine Tango, finished runner-up in each of the first two legs and will be back again under Luis Saez. A field of seven was drawn.
In the filly division, Redbud Road and Queen Drama have taken turns beating each other in the first two legs. Redbud Road, also a Jack’s or Better homebred by Awesome of Course, won the Aug. 6 Desert Vixen by 1 1/4 lengths for her third straight victory. But Harold Queen’s Queen Drama bested her by a nose in the Aug. 27 Susan’s Girl for the minor upset.
Both fillies are back for the My Dear Girl, which drew a field of eight.
The Tropical Park Derby, at 1 1/8 miles on turf, drew 10 3-year-olds with Manicero and Too Experience both toting top weight of 122 pounds.
Leo Azpurua Jr.’s Manicero enters off a half-length victory in the Sept. 17 Needles Stakes in his stakes debut. Move Horse’s Too Experience, the Sam F. Davis (gr. III) runner-up from earlier this year, was fifth in the Needles but won an optional claimer on the main track Oct. 2.
$100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap (gr. III, Race 9, 4:10 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Sky Venture (KY), J C Leyva, 112, C Paul
2. Flatter This (KY), L Jurado, 117, K O'Connell
3. Dinner in Odem (FL), M Manickram, 115, P Wasiluk Jr.
4. Mad Flatter (FL), J K Court, 117, J D Thornbury
5. Rock Alex (FL), J A Garcia, 115, M A Estevez
6. Stimulus Plan (KY), J Theriot, 112, D F Hunt
7. Mambo Meister (KY), F Jara, 122, P A Gleaves
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Sky Venture (KY), J C Leyva, 112, C Paul
2. Flatter This (KY), L Jurado, 117, K O'Connell
3. Dinner in Odem (FL), M Manickram, 115, P Wasiluk Jr.
4. Mad Flatter (FL), J K Court, 117, J D Thornbury
5. Rock Alex (FL), J A Garcia, 115, M A Estevez
6. Stimulus Plan (KY), J Theriot, 112, D F Hunt
7. Mambo Meister (KY), F Jara, 122, P A Gleaves