Stanley Ersoff's homebred Band Is Passing will face 14 rivals in the Appleton Handicap (gr. IIT) at Gulfstream Park Saturday as he attempts to repeat his win in last year's renewal of the race. Since last year, the race has been shortened to one mile from its previous length of 1 1/16 miles.
In his most recent start, Band Is Passing finished in a dead heat for second place in the Tropical Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT), won by subsequent W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) runner-up Stokosky. Prior to that race, the newly turned 5-year-old fittingly won the Pass the Line Stakes, a race named for his sire, who was also an Ersoff homebred.
Band Is Passing has won nine of 17 career races and five stakes races. He has only raced outside of South Florida once in his career, finishing 11th on that occasion in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-III) last March.
Band Is Passing will start from post position 10 with Eibar Coa in the irons.
The field for the Appleton Handicap will consist of:
1--Delay of Game, Edgar Prado, 115, 4-1
2--In Frank's Honor, Jerry Bailey, 113, 5-1
3--Associate, Jorge Chavez, 114, 20-1
4--Reno Rumble, Mark Guidry, 115, 10-1
5--Mandarin Marsh, John Velazquez, 114, 15-1
6--Special Coach, Jose Ferrer, 114, 12-1
7--El Mirasol, Mike Smith, 115, 12-1
8--Indy Vidual, Richard Migliore, 114, 6-1
9--Honorable Pic, Horacio Karamanos, 115, 8-1
10--Band Is Passing, Eibar Coa, 119, 3-1
11--El Angelo, Pat Day, 113, 20-1
12--Stans Dream, Rosemary Homeister Jr., 114, 20-1
13--Ican'thearyou, Richard Migliore, 113, 20-1
14--(F)Tubrok, John Velazquez, 112, 20-1
15--(F)Kipperscope, Eibar Coa, 112, 20-1
