Michele Blanco
Calder Race Course

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – IEAH Stable and partners’ Benny the Bull won the True North Handicap (Grade 2) on Belmont Day last year for trainer Rick Dutrow before shipping to South Florida to capture the $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (Grade 2) on Summit of Speed day at Calder Race Course in July, and later voted the nation’s Eclipse Award champion sprinter.

Benny the Bull didn’t run again after the Smile Sprint, subsequently undergoing surgery for an ankle injury suffered during training for his next start, and was considered for stud duty this season.

However, a change of plans has the 6-year-old son of Lucky Lionel back in training and entered to defend his title in Saturday’s edition of the True North at Belmont to serve as a tuneup for a return trip to Calder for the $350,000 Smile Sprint on Summit day, Saturday, July 11, according to Dutrow.

Benny the Bull, who had won the $2 million Golden Shaheen Stakes (Grade 1) in Dubai prior to the True North and Smile last year, is also entered in Saturday’s $70,000 Longellow Stakes at Monmouth Park as a possible alternative to the True North, which is a tougher spot with Walter Downey’s 6-year-old gelding Fabulous Strike and Godolphin’s 4-year-old Two Step Salsa in the field.

Fabulous Strike has ranked among the nation’s top sprinters the last three seasons for trainer Todd Beattie, but didn’t fire his best shot when fifth as the second choice in the 2007 edition of the Smile Sprint won by Calder-based Mach Ride with Smokey Stover third as the favorite invading from California. Fabulous Strike finished second by a head last out in the Carter Handicap (Grade 1) at Aqueduct on April 4.

Two races later on the Belmont card Saturday the $250,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (Grade 2) for 3-year-olds could yield a contender or two for the $200,000 Carry Back Stakes (Grade 2) on Summit day at Calder. Of particular interest in this race will be Paul Pompa, Jr. and partners’ This Ones for Phil, a chestnut gelding developed at Calder last year by trainer Kathleen O’Connell before being sold privately late in the season.

This Ones for Phil is a son of Untuttable and posted an 8-2-1-1 record for owner-breeder Gilbert Campbell and O’Connell before the sale to Pompa and was placed with trainer Rick Dutrow. He has made four starts this year, beginning with a victory in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream Park on Jan.24 and a fifth-place finish behind Quality Road trying one mile in February.

A month later at Gulfstream, This Ones for Phil lost a long stretch battle by a half-length to Big Drama in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (Grade 2), but was moved up to first on a stewards’ disqualification. Big Drama was credited with setting a track record. In one start since, This Ones for Phil finished second to Mr. Fantasy in the one-mile Withers Stakes (Grade 3) at Aqueduct on Apr. 25.

A leading Calder-based candidate for the Carry Back this year stamped his credentials when trainer Marty Wolfson sent out Kramer Stable’s You Luckie Mann to capture Thursday’s seventh-race allowance feature here by 3¾ lengths over older horses in his first appearance since finishing second to This Ones for Phil in the Sunshine Million Dash in January.

Two years ago, Teuflesberg won the Woody Stephens on Belmont Day for trainer Jamie Sanders, and shipped to Calder for the Carry Back. The son of Johannesberg lost a one-length decision to co-favorite Black Seventeen shipping in from California for trainer Brian Koriner.

STARSHIP NOVA AND CHRISTINA’S DREAM TAKE NEXT STEP IN SUNDAY FEATURE

Starship Stables’ Starship Nova and Just For Fun Stable’s Christina’s Dream are 4-year-old fillies that have shown promise in seven starts each since making their career debuts last year as 3-year-olds, and will be the ones to beat in a field of six fillies and mares entered in Sunday’s ‘a other than’ optional/allowance feature at Calder Race Course.

Jockey Jeffrey Sanchez gets the call on Starship Nova for trainer Steve Dwoskin in the six-furlong test. The Florida-homebred chestnut daughter of Flame Thrower never has been out of the money with a 7-1-4-2 record, finishing third last out as the favorite going five furlongs on a ‘sloppy’ track on May 23 after the race was forced off turf.

Jockey Javier Santiago rides Christina’s Dream for trainer Antonio Cioffi after she broke her maiden by 9 ¼ lengths on May 17 going 5 ½ furlongs as the 2-to-5 favorite. The daughter of Phone Trick had run well finishing second in her two previous outings at Gulfstream and Calder.

Completing the field are John Cruise Racing’s Tenacious Gator, David Boraco; My Son My Son Stable’s Twisted Version, Manuel Aguilar; Herb and Ione Elkins’ Threetimesawonder, Sebastian Madrid; and Gregory Kaufman’s Shadow Belle, J.A. Garcia.