Leading Riders Heading to South Florida

Racing secretary Bob Umphrey reports that leading jockeys Jerry Bailey, Pat Day, and Jorge Chavez have committed to ride at Calder Race Course on Dec. 8, Grand Slam I Day, a program that will have four stakes races worth $100,000 each.

The three Eclipse Award-winning riders have ridden at Calder over the years, with Bailey and Chavez having won Tropical-at-Calder riding titles early in their careers. Both riders rode here on 'estival of the Sun Day, Oct. 13, while Day and Chavez each made a rare summer appearance on Summit of Speed Day, July 14.

Nominations close Saturday to the four Grand Slam I races:

*$100,000 My Charmer Handicap (gr. III), fillies & mares, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
*$100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap (gr. III), 3yos & up, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
*$100,000 Three Ring Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles
*$100,000 What a Pleasure Stakes, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles

One commitment for Bailey will be David Hutson's Rulebook in the What a Pleasure for trainer Marty Wolfson. The two have teamed up successfully with stakes runners over the years, including The Vid, Golden Pond, and Chaposa Springs.