Favored Dazzling Dr. Cevin took advantage of a switch from turf to dirt Saturday to win the $200,000 Calder Derby in the final strides.
The Calder Derby was run as part of the track's $1.6 million Festival of the Sun program. Overnight rain forced Calder to switch its turf races to the main track, which alternated between "good" and "sloppy" under occasional showers.
Under Julio Garcia, the Florida-bred Cutlass Fax gelding bided his time until rounding the final turn in the 1 1/8-mile event, then found plenty of room along the inside in the stretch to run down a weaving Dream On Dream On for a neck victory. The final time on a track listed as "good" was 1:52 2/5. The race was a grade III for the turf but would lose its grade without a reversal by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
Trained by Luis Olivares for owner Rey Wan Racing, Dazzling Dr. Cevin was coming off a 3 1/4-length victory over optional claiming/allowance foes on the Calder main track at seven furlongs Sept. 23. The dark bay's only previous start on the turf in 19 races resulted in a ninth-place showing at Gulfstream Park in April. Dazzling Dr. Cevin paid $6.60, $3.60, and $2.80.
"If this race hadn't come off the turf, he would have run against older horses in the Spend A Buck (double-entered into 12th race)," Olivares said.
Dream On Dream On ($4.60, $2.80), ridden by Juan Leyva, set fractions of :23 2/5, :47 2/5 and 1:12 1/5. He owned a four-length lead on the turn but began to tire in mid-stretch and could not hold off the winner while floating out late. Talented Prince ($2.40), ridden by Manoel Cruz, finished 10 3/4 lengths farther behind in third, with Hal's Image fourth.
Dazzling Dr. Cevin, a $7,500 Ocala Breeders' Sale buy in November 2003, improved his career record to 6-3-5 in 20 starts with earnings of $255,590. Dazzling Dr. Cevin has won four of 14 this year.
Longshot Tiger Belle Takes Calder OaksRobert C. Roffey Jr.'s Tiger Belle, a 32-1 shot, rallied widest of all in the stretch to win the $200,000 Calder Oaks by three-quarters of a length on Saturday.
The 3-year-old daughter of
Tiger Ridge covered the 1 1/8 miles over a sloppy track in 1:53.95 under jockey Manoel Cruz.
The nine-furlong Oaks was originally carded to be run on the turf but was transferred to the main track following heavy rain overnight.
The Oaks was the second straight victory for the David Muench-trained filly and her fourth in her last five trips to the post. The win improved her record to 5-1-1 from 16 starts and the $120,000 winner's share boosted her bankroll to $203,500. She paid $66, $14.20, and $7.
My Typhoon, the post time favorite, had the lead in the stretch but couldn't hold off the move by the winner to run second in the field of 10 sophomores. It was another 8 ½ lengths back to third-place finisher Fast Lisa.
(Chart,
Equibase)
