Joe's Son Joey Leads Parade of Late Runners in Calder Turf Sprint

Joseph R. Lunetta's Joe's Son Joey led a slew of closers to the wire to notch a 1 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Calder Turf Sprint Handicap on Summit of Speed day at the south Florida oval. Under Joe Bravo, Joe's Son Joey completed the five furlongs in :55.63 on firm turf to earn the $60,000 winner's share of the purse.

Callthesherrif, eighth early on, finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of a fast-closing Abderian, with fellow closer Nuclear Debate a half-length farther back in fourth. Stormy Roman was up for fifth, followed by True Love's Secret, Petrina Above, Tricky Storm, lukewarm favorite Testify, Take Achance on Me, My Girl Lisa, and Placido.

The win marks the sixth in 21 career starts for Joe's Son Joey, who finished fifth in the five-furlong Turf Monster Handicap at Philadelphia Park in his most recent previous start and shipped in to Calder from Monmouth Park.

"We kind of rolled the dice running him in the race at Philadelphia (Turf Monster on May 31)," said trainer Timothy Hills. "We had to train him on wet tracks and the course was really soft. They probably shouldn't have run on it. He came back exhausted but he's a big horse and needed to run to be able to make this race. So it worked out well."

Joe's Son Joey's previous stakes win came in a three-quarter length triumph over Texas Glitter in the 2002 renewal of the $100,000 Turf Handicap at Philadelphia Park. Jebb Stable bred the 5-year-old son of Fast Play in Kentucky.

Sent off at just over 7-1, Joe's Son Joey returned $16.80, $8.80, and $7.20 and led a $377 exacta.(Chart, Equibase)