Looking for a Grand Slam sweep, well-backed rider is blanked

When jockey Pat Day arrived in South Florida on December 9, he said he believed he could sweep Calder Race Course's four $100,000 stakes races on its Grand Slam program.

He was not alone.

My Charmer H. (G3)
Calder Race Course, December 9, $100,000, 1 1/8 miles, turf, firm, 1:47.58
1-WILD HEART DANCING, f. 4, Farma Way-Star of Wicklow, by Fast Play.
2-Megans Bluff, (disq. from 1st), f. 3, Pine Bluff-Cozzena, by Cozzene.
3-Orange Sunset (Ire), f. 4, Roanoke-Classical Flair, by Riverman.

A crowd of 8,440 on an overcast, muggy afternoon believed so strongly in Day and his live mounts that they made him the favorite in three of the four Grade 3 events and the third choice in the fourth.

Unfortunately for Day, who began the day less than $50,000 ahead of Jerry Bailey in his pursuit of his second consecutive leading money-winning title, it was not a Grand Slam afternoon.

Day was disqualified from first to second aboard 2.10-to-1 favorite Megans Bluff in the My Charmer Handicap (G3). He finished second aboard the 7-to-5 choice Outofthebox in the What a Pleasure Stakes (G3). He was third on Thunder Bertie (3-to-5) in the Three Ring Stakes. And he and was fifth on Gulf Storm (3.30-to-1) in the Tropical Turf Handicap (G3).

"We came in thinking we could win four," said Day after his last ride. "I'm sad for all of us."

Day's inability to bring home a winner opened the door for two longshots, a couple of surprises, and a signal that the winter racing season is right around the corner.

Calder's four-race Grand Slam began with Day's disqualification, and ended with a 31.30-to-1 winner.

First, the disqualification.

Day seemed to be riding the perfect race in the 1 1/8-mile My Charmer when he rated James Routsong's Arlington Oaks (G3) and Arlington Matron Handicap (G3) winner Megans Bluff behind My Jo Lee Stable's pacesetter Wild Heart Dancing. The fractions were :24.59, :48.77, and 1:11.83.

Patient as always, Day took aim at Wild Heart Dancing inside the final eighth, and it appeared as though he would breeze past the leader. But, in getting by Wild Heart Dancing, Day and Megans Bluff bounced off the four-year-old filly. In a matter of minutes, stewards took down Day and Megans Bluff and awarded victory to Wild Heart Dancing. Time for the race was 1:47.58.

"I only saw the head-on," Day said. "My first reaction was that it was 50-50. My filly might have stepped in, and (Wild Heart Dancing) might have stepped out. But the stewards have a job to do."

For Wild Heart Dancing, a four-year-old daughter of Farma Way trained by Eugene Brajczewski Jr., it was her second consecutive victory since she was shipped from Aqueduct, where she won the Athenia Handicap (G3). The filly has won nine races in 25 career starts for earnings of $597,641.

Stokosky's Tropical Turf

Now the shocker. It came in the form of Santa Cruz Ranch's 31.30-to-1 shot Stokosky, who gamely split horses down the stretch under jockey Carlos Hernandez to win the Tropical Turf in 1:48.77. Special Coach and 2.10-to-1 favorite Band Is Passing dead-heated for the place.

Tropical Turf H. (G3)
Calder Race Course, December 9, $100,000, 1 1/8 miles, turf, yielding, 1:48.77
1-STOKOSKY, c. 4, Stack-Fama, by Forever Sparkle.
2-(DH) Special Coach, c. 4, Zafarrancho (Arg)-Volitant, by Distinctive Pro.
2-(DH) Band Is Passing, c. 4, Pass the Line-Fairforband, by Fairway Fortune.

Stokosky, a four-year-old son of the Florida-bred Stack, had won his maiden victory on the turf at Hialeah Park in 1999, had won three allowance turf events, and was coming off a second-placed finish here on November 23 in the $28,540 Flag Down Handicap.

While the odds showed the public believed Stokosky was a bit over-matched, he got the job done under a masterful ride by Hernandez.

Rated fourth and saving ground behind pacesetter Special Coach, Hernandez took his colt off the hedge entering the stretch and then split rivals inside the final eighth for a three-quarter length victory.

Stokosky is trained by Juan Rizo, a 1989 graduate of University of Miami's business school who began training horses 3 1/2 years ago for his family, the owners of Santa Cruz Ranch.

"I stopped on him in the summer because he couldn't handle the heat," said Rizo after winning his first $100,000 race. "It's turned out very well and he's come back very well."

Hernandez has been riding the past eight years in Peru.

Radical Riley on sloppy track

Sandwiched between the two turf events were two 1 1/16-mile stakes for juveniles. The What a Pleasure, which recently lost its graded status beginning in 2001, appeared to be the spot for Day to bag his first winner with Richard, Bertram, and Elaine Klein's Outofthebox. Outofthebox, who just missed winning the $450,000 In Reality division of the Florida Stallion Stakes here on October 7, was coming off a seventh-place finish in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

What a Pleasure S. (G3)
Calder Race Course, December 9, $100,000, 1 1/16 miles, sloppy, 1:48.33
1-RADICAL RILEY, c. 2, Wheaton-Vogueing, by Rare Brick.
2-Outofthebox, c. 2, Montbrook-Cricket Box, by Notebook.
3-Horrible Evening, c. 2, Evening Kris-Horrible Gift, by Pappa Riccio.

But just before the running of the What a Pleasure, rains turned the main track from fast to sloppy. The weather also made a winner of Jacks or Better Farm's 13.80-to-1 longshot Radical Riley.

A son of Wheaton, Radical Riley was given a wonderful ride by Eduardo Nunez, who saved ground and rated the colt fourth behind pacesetter Mr Notebook. Farther back, Day, breaking from the 11th post position with Outofthebox, could not get to the front, was floated wide entering the first turn, and was sixth after a :24.09 first quarter.

After angling Radical Riley four wide entering the turn, Nunez drove past Mr Notebook and Horrible Evening in midstretch. Outofthebox, who moved three wide under Day around the final turn, made a late bid but could not catch the winner, who covered the distance in 1:48.33.

"In my opinion, it was really a dull effort," said Day of Outofthebox. "When I looked through his (past performances), he always showed some speed early. He never really took me into the race."

Radical Riley, trained by Jim Hatchett, had only two wins in his previous ten starts. But his last victory-by 9 3/4 lengths-had come over a sloppy track.

"When I saw the rain coming down I started praying," Nunez said. "I knew I had a better chance. My horse is much better in the slop."

Halo Reality surprises Day

It appeared that no track surface could have stopped Centaur Farms' homebred Halo Reality from winning the Three Ring. A daughter of Prospector's Halo trained by Ralph Ziadie, Halo Reality stalked Day and the prohibitive favorite Thunder Bertie past fractions of :24.44, :49.22, and 1:14.13.

Day once again seemed to have everything in control. In fact, down the backstretch, Day admitted, "I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, but how far I'd win by."

But approaching the final turn, jockey Rene Douglas moved Halo Reality to the leader, who offered no resistance. In the blink of an eye, Halo Reality had a length advantage entering the stretch. The filly won by four in 1:47.74.

At the end of the afternoon, Day was philosophical.

"You always like to win," he said. "I'm more frustrated for (Megans Bluff's trainer John) Hennig and the owners than for myself. But I coined a saying years ago. If you can make it to the shower under your own power, it's a good day."