Michele Blanco
Calder Race Course
 
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Virginia and James Gamble’s Florida homebred 2-year-old filly Gator Brew won a tight photo finish and survived a jockey’s claim of foul to win the $85,000 Lindsay Frolic Stakes at Calder’s Juvenile Showcase on Saturday.  The race marked jockey Paco Lopez’s third win of the afternoon and second victory of the day for trainer Bill White.

“We could have run her in the Susan’s Girl (Florida Stallion Stakes) today, but we were mainly concerned about running in there as a maiden.  But off of this effort, we’ll certainly consider running in the next race of the series ($400,000 My Dear Girl at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 17).  How she got up (in this race) and won was amazing.  I thought she’d be a little short.  In the end, I didn’t know if she was first or third, so it was quite a rush to see her number on top.  Then to survive the objection, well, this was a real roller coaster ride,” White said.

Gator Brew came into the one-mile stakes race off her third place career debut on August 15.  She ran down the pacesetting Roma’s Gal as did The Isabella Angel and the three of them arrived at the finish line within inches of each other.  The photo finish showed Gator Brew the winner by a nose over The Isabella Angel, with Roma’s Gal just a head back in third.

While the unofficial order was posted, the jockey aboard The Isabella Angel – Manoel Cruz – lodged an objection against Lopez for interference in the stretch.  Stewards disallowed the foul claim.

“Mr. White told me to just see how the race developed and use my judgment as to where I should place my filly.  They weren’t going very fast on the front end, but to me she just seemed like it would be better to let her relax early on and she would have more of a late kick in the stretch.  When we got close to the wire we were all in tight and my filly came out a little bit, but just a little bit,” Lopez said.

Gator Brew completed the mile in 1:43.14 and paid $14.20, $6.00 and $3.60.  The Isabella Angel paid $3.80 and $3.00 to her backers, while Roma’s Gal paid $3.40 to show.

About Lindsay Frolic:

A daughter of the prolific broodmare Cherokee Frolic, Lindsay Frolic, herself, became a successful dam after a multiple stakes winning career on the racetrack.  Highlights of her racing career include victories in the Sabin Handicap (Grade 3) at Gulfstream Park and the Powder Break Handicap and Judy’s Red Shoes Stakes at Calder.  Trained by Milton Wolfson for Stride Rite Racing Stable, Lindsay Frolic was bred by Cherokee Farms in Florida.  Her offspring include Stormy Frolic, Super Frolic and Gallant Frolic.

RETIRE TO WHAT AT 45-1 WINNER OF FASIG-TIPTON TURF DASH

Despite winning his last race by seven furlongs, Juan Francisco Landaeta’s 2-year-old colt Retire to What was sent off at odds of 45-to-1 in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash at Calder’s Juvenile Showcase on Saturday.  The Florida-bred went on to win his turf stakes debut by a length over the filly Girl Bar and pay $93.40 in the process.

Jockey Manuel Aguilar guided Retire to What to victory for trainer Angel Medina, who claimed the colt out of his last race for $12,500.  Retire to What led from start to finish in the five-furlong Turf Dash and covered the distance in 57.11 seconds.

The complete mutuel payouts for Retire to What were $93.40, $25.60 and $7.80.  Girl Bar paid $3.20 and $2.80.  Finishing 1 ¼ lengths back in third was Gesu, paying $2.80 to show.