A son of Sultry Song, Revved Up scored for the second time this year and entered the winner’s circle for the 19th time in his remarkable 41-start career. He has now earned more than $1.5 million.
Under jockey Eibar Coa, Revved Up stalked Touched by Madness and Jet Propulsion for much of the 1 1/8-miles, staying in back of the leaders, who dueled throughout the backstretch. Fractions of :24.35 and :47.82 were set before Jet Propulsion began to inch clear under Eduardo Nunez.
Jet Propulsion cleared the field of 10 by two lengths midway on the turn and was still a head in front as they straightened out. But Revved Up had already begun his three-wide move, found another gear, and easily passed the leader at the eighth-pole.
Trained by Christophe Clement, Revved Up seemed to have another Bonnie Heath easily wrapped up in mid-stretch, but 3-year-old gelding Soldier’s Dancer came flying late on the outside with Cornelio Velasquez aboard. The two hit the wire together, with the photo going to Revved Up.
“I knew I won it," Coa said. "I was a little worried coming to the wire because I knew the one (Soldier Dancer) was coming hard and my horse (Revved Up) is old, and he started waiting. But as soon as we hit the wire, I knew I had it."
The final time was 1:48.03. Revved Up, the betting favorite, paid $5.60 to win. The exacta (10-1) was worth $19.20. Go Directlyto Jail was third, filling out a $163.40 trifecta (10-1-9).
Revved Up, out of the With Approval mare Win Approval, won the Aug. 19 John’s Call Stakes at Saratoga two starts back before finishing a well-beaten sixth in the Sky Classic (Can-IIT) Sept. 23 at Woodbine in his most recent effort.
"He’s just been a marvelous horse," Clement said. "It’s been a team effort with Mrs. (Charlotte) Weber and the people at Live Oak. We pick his spots very carefully and give him a rest when he needs it. We go one race at a time. As long he’s healthy, sound' and willing, there’s no reason not to let him keep going."
In other stakes action at Calder, the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic Handicap was won by 4-year-old gelding Electrify, who saved ground along the fence and then sped to the lead in mid-stretch under Elvis Trujillo to score by 1 1/4 lengths.
A Padua Stables homebred, Electrify triumphed in stakes competition for the third time in 2007. A son of Delaware Township, he has now won eight of 19 lifetime starts, hitting the board 13 times. Edward Plesa Jr. trains.
Second to Carl G. Rose starter Yes He’s the Man last time out in the Oct. 13 Spend a Buck Handicap (gr. III) at Calder, Electrify sat comfortably behind 50-1 longshot Notgonagetemtoday and Yes He’s the Man in this 1 1/8-mile event. When the field of eight rounded the final turn, Yes He’s the Man was tiring while Pop Goes the Tiger made a three-wide bid and briefly took the lead.
But the rail was wide open for Electrify, who boldly took command inside the eighth-pole and pulled away. Imawildandcrazyguy rallied from last for place while Summer Book was third.
The co-betting favorite, Electrify paid $6.20 to win. The exacta (3-1) earned bettors $18.40. The final time was 1:52.53.
In all, there were eight stakes at Calder on Florida Million day, totaling $1.2 million. Other winners were High Resolve, who scored a 5 ¼-length victory in the $150,000 Joe O’Farrell Juvenile Fillies Stakes; He’s Eze, a 30-1 longshot surprise, in the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile Stakes; Wise Cookie, getting up by a neck over Robbie’s Gal in the $100,000 John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf; even-money favorite Finallymadeit took the $150,000 Jack Dudley Sprint by a head, which was the same margin that Dynhocracy won the $100,000 Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf; and finally, 4-year-old filly Annabill who collected her third consecutive win by rallying to take the $200,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff.
