by Mike Curry

Ballast (Ire) will attempt to win the $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap (G3) for the third consecutive year on Saturday and remain unbeaten at Calder Race Course.

The seven-year-old Desert Prince (Ire) gelding is one of nine contenders slated to contest the 1 1/8-mile turf race for three-year-olds and older.

Trained by Graham Motion for owner Richard Thompson, Ballast’s only two career graded stakes victories came in the Tropical Turf Handicap. He won the 2006 edition by 1 1/4 lengths and last year held off National Captain (SAf) by a neck to nail down the repeat victory.

Unplaced in his first three starts this season, Ballast enters off a win in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on turf at Keeneland Race Course on October 22.

Ballast will face a deep field that includes multiple Grade 2 winner Silver Tree, winner of the 2005 Tropical Turf Handicap; Soldier’s Dancer, a four-year-old gelding who also has a successful record at Calder; Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Can-G1) runner-up Spice Route (GB); and multiple graded stakes winner Icy Atlantic, who enters off a victory in the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicap at Calder on November 8.

Silver Tree has won two of seven starts this season for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The eight-year-old Hennessy horse won the  Fort Marcy Handicap (G3) on April 27 at Aqueduct and the Oceanport Stakes (G3) on August 3 at Monmouth Park. Silver Tree enters off a fourth-place finish in the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup.

Soldier’s Dancer has won six of 16 career starts at Calder, which serves as his home base with trainer David Vivian.

The four-year-old Lost Soldier gelding has posted each of his three graded stakes wins at the Miami track. He won the Calder Derby (G3) and Tropical Park Derby (G3) in 2007 and the Miami Mile Handicap (G3) this year. Soldier’s Dancer was pulled up in the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup in his previous start.


The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Simmard (Dixieland Band), Robert C. Landry, 111, Roger L. Attfield;

2. Soldier's Dancer (Lost Soldier), Manoel R. Cruz, 121, David A. Vivian;

3. It's a Bird (Birdonthewire), Jermaine V. Bridgmohan, 113, Martin D. Wolfson;

4. Spice Route [GB] (King's Best), Javier Castellano, 117, Roger L. Attfield;

5. Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic), Christopher P. DeCarlo, 118, Todd A. Pletcher;

6. Ballast [IRE] (Desert Prince [IRE]), Jeremy Rose, 118, H. Graham Motion;

7. A. P. Magic (A.P. Indy), Eduardo O. Nunez, 113, Alan Benning;

8. Silver Tree (Hennessy), Kent J. Desormeaux, 120, William I. Mott; and

9. Minister's Joy (Deputy Minister), Elvis Trujillo, 117, Claude R. McGaughey III.