Kinsman Stable's 4-year-old homebred filly Ebony Breeze has won both of her previous starts at Calder Race Course and goes for win number three Friday as one of the choices in a field of seven fillies and mares set for the $100,000 Chaposa Springs Handicap (gr. III).
Jockey Jerry Bailey will be aboard Ebony Breeze in the seven-furlong test at the end of another successful campaign in East Coast sprint stakes for trainer Bill Mott. She won the My Juliet Stakes at Philadelphia Park and Endine Handicap (gr. III) at Delaware Park, and lost a nose decision in the Honorable Miss Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga.
The daughter of
Belong to Me broke her maiden at Calder late in her juvenile campaign and shipped back to Florida from New York for the Summit of Speed in 2003 to capture the Azalea Breeders' Cup (gr. III). Her career record stands at 7-6-4 from 21 starts and she has earned $656,157.
While Ebony Breeze is a proven performer in her division the last two years, 7 Oaks Farm's homebred 4-year-old filly Alix M is just emerging on the scene for local trainer Ron Spatz, not making her career debut until July 10 earlier this year at Calder. The chestnut daughter of End Sweep has made up for lost time with five wins and two seconds from seven starts and a third in her lone try on turf. She looked good winning the Connie's Magic overnight stakes last out under Cornelio Velasquez, who will be back aboard Friday.
Two other contenders in the Chaposa Springs will be new to South Florida fans. Jockey Eibar Coa rides Cathy Camelia's Kentucky invader Revolutionary Act and Edgar Prado gets the call on Stronach Stable's Pop Princess for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Revolutionary Act is a 4-year-old daughter of Boston Harbor and earned a trip to Miami with a sharp, wire-to-wire score in the Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park on Dec. 4. Trained by Pat Huffman, Revolutionary Act was impressive winning a non-winner of two "other than" allowance at Keeneland in October by 7 1/2 lengths.
Pop Princess campaigned in Frankel's New York division this summer and fall winning allowance races at Belmont Park and Aqueduct in October. The Canadian homebred daughter of Adena Springs stallion
Alphabet Soup finished fourth last out in the Top Flight Handicap (gr. II) going a mile at Aqueduct.
Completing the field are Kay Hale's Expect an Angel, with Jose Lopez to ride; and the entry of Hardacre Farm's Lawful Nice, Manuel Aguilar, and Habiboo, Eddie Castro. Both trained by Hardacre owner Amy Tarrant.
Expect an Angel has won her last two starts here in which she finished, punctuated by an unfortunate trip on Nov. 5 when she clipped heels and fell. Bobby Hale trains the 4-year-old daughter of
Valid Expectations.
Lawful Nice and Habiboo are 3-year-old fillies that spent the summer at Monmouth Park and are wintering at Classic Mile training center near Ocala. Habiboo, by
Unbridled's Song was a $210,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase and won a non-winners of two "other than" last time out Oct. 15 at Belmont Park. Lawful Nice is a chestnut daughter of Old Trieste purchased for $335,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. She lost a half-length decision last out Oct. 22 in an allowance at Belmont.
Chaposa Springs Handicap (gr. III), Calder Race Course, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, seven furlongs, Friday, Dec. 31, approx. post time 4:25 p.m. ESTPP - Horse - Age - Weight - Jockey
1 - Revolutionary Act - 4 - 115 - Eibar Coa
2 -Expect an Angel - 4 - 110 - Jose Lopez
3 - Alix M - 4 - 120 - Cornelio Velasquez
4 - Ebony Breeze - 4 - 116 - Jerry Bailey
5 - Lawful Nice - 3 - 110 - Manuel Aguilar
6 - Pop Princess - 4 - 114 - Edgar Prado
7 - Habiboo - 3 - 112 - Eddie Castro
