BY BROCK SHERIDAN

JULY 12, 2003— Robert L. Cole Jr.’s Florida-bred Shake You Down and jockey Michael Luzzi  ran down Here’s Zealous coming out of the turn then sprinted away to an eight-and-a-half length romp in the $500,000 Smile Sprint (Grade 3) during the Summit of Speed card featuring seven sprint stakes worth more than $1.8 million at Calder Race Course.

Shake You Down finished the six furlongs in 1:10.03.

Earlier, Rey Wan Racing’s Florida-bred Outstanding Lady won the $52,475 Roamin Rachel and  Mac Fehsenfeld’s Florida-bred Valid Video scored in the $300,000 Carry Back (Grade 3).

Claimed by trainer Scott Lake for $65,000 four months earlier at Aqueduct, Shake You Down remained undefeated in five starts for his new connections while winning his third straight graded stakes.

The 5-year-old son of Ocala Stud’s Montbrook had won two allowance races at Aqueduct in April then won the Bold Ruler (G3) and True North Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park before his dominant victory in the Smile Sprint.

“I can’t say I had any idea he would turn out this good,” Lake was quoted as saying in Blood-Horse magazine.

“Basically, he’s a super horse right now,” said Luzzi, aboard for all three of his stakes wins. “I’m impressed more today than I have ever been.”

Bred by Ocala Stud Farm, Shake You Down improved his record at the time to 12 wins, five seconds and three thirds from 31 starts with earnings of $697,760.

Two races earlier, jockey Joe Bravo guided Valid Video three-wide on the turn to hit the front in the lane and win the $300,000 Carry Back for 3-year-olds by two-and-a-half lengths ahead of Cajun Beat in second.

Valid Video finished the six furlongs in 1:10.15 for his first victory since March 17 of that year when he won the $50,000 OBS Sprint at the Ocala Training Center and the $250,000 Ocala Stud Farm Dash for 3-year-olds bred in Florida or California on the Sunshine Millions card at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25.

Valid Video was owned by Mac Fehsenfeld of Indiana and trained by Dennis Manning. Casey Seaman bred the son of Valid Wager out of Miss Video, by Star Gallant. Valid Video improved his record at the time to five wins in eight starts with one second and earnings of $445,700.

His only losses to that point had come in the Grade 1 Futurity at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old and when sixth in the Listed Aventura in April of 2023 and second in the $50,000 Gilded Time in May, both at Gulfstream Park.

Making her fourth career start, Outstanding Lady was up just in time to win the Roamin Rachel by a head over Florida-bred Mystical Delite. Florida-bred Usual Manner, the even-money favorite, was third after setting the pace. Ridden Jorge Chavez, Outstanding Lady covered six-and-a-half furlongs in 1:21.44.

Outstanding Lady was by Outflanker out of the No Robbery mare Rob’s Lady and was bred in Florida by Whisper Hill Farm. Tim Ritvo trained Outstanding Lady, who improved her earnings to $62,045 from two wins in four starts with a second.

In addition to the day producing three winners for Florida breeders, it was also the first day the track handled eight figures with total wagering hitting a record $10,541,400.

The most unique race featured during the Summit of Speed program was the $50,000-guaranteed Rocket Man, a two-furlong test for 2-year-olds won by Maryland-bred Baby Shark.

Return to the July 12 issue of Wire to Wire