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Calder Race Course Shines With 15th Festival of the Sun
By GREG MELIKOV
Undefeated horse Straight Faced is a race away from becoming the eighth 2-year-old to sweep the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Race Course.
The son of Straight Man goes for his fifth victory in the $400,000 In Reality Stakes for colts and geldings at 1 1/16 miles on the 15th Festival of the Sun afternoon. His granddad Smile was the first unbeaten juvenile to sweep the series in 1984 two years after its debut.
Smile captured the ‘86 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita and won the Eclipse Award in that category. The Grade II Smile Sprint Handicap worth $500,000 is part of Calder’s Summit of Speed card held every July.
Other winners of won all three Florida Stallion Stakes legs for males were Naked Greed, ‘91; Seacliff, ‘95; Express Tour, ‘00; and Sir Oscar, ‘03. Two fillies that performed the feat were Nancy’s Glitter in ‘97 and Aclassysassylassy in ‘04.
The In Reality is one of eight stakes on Saturday worth $1.6 million.
Straight Faced captured the first two legs — the Dr. Fager at six furlongs and the Affirmed at seven furlongs — but developed a foot problem. Trainer Stephen DiMauro said the tender frog of his left front foot (the V-shaped, pliable support structure on the bottom) that almost kept him out of the Affirmed is healing well.
The colt worked four furlongs on Sunday in the bullet time of 47 1/5 at Calder. He has another asset – regular rider Manoel Cruz, runaway leading jockey during the meeting.
“I don’t want to look further than where we are right now,” said DiMauro, a trainer since 1978. “We were lucky to get to the last race and I want to make sure that he gets to this race in the best possible shape.”
The son of long-time New York trainer Stephen A. DiMauro, who knows his way around horses, discussed his latest star:
“He’s quiet. He usually stands in the same place in his stall. He’s not nervous at all. He doesn’t bite, unless he’s annoyed. He is very smart. He’s never done anything wrong . . . he does everything you ask him.
“I don’t believe in schooling horses in the paddock. When he walked in the paddock for the first time (for his race on June 5), nothing bothered him. He didn’t turn a hair.
“As long as he breaks well, he puts himself in a position to run a good race . . . so far.”Part of the reason why Walter Donnelly purchased Straight Faced was the colt’s demeanor, which was detected early by his breeder Adam Parker.
“I’ve had horses for Mr. Donnelly for a few years, and Mr. Parker also looks at horses for him,” DiMauro said. “They pick horses out of the book (sales catalog) and I look at videos. Adam recommended that I look at him (Straight Faced) at the sale.”
Straight Faced’s main In Reality challengers are Villainage, runner-up in the first two Stallion Stakes legs, and Green Vegas, winner of the Foolish Pleasure States at a mile and 70 yards after finishing third in the Affirmed.
“If we win this race with authority, we’ll probably take a shot (at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile),” DiMauro said. “But he’ll have to win with authority.”
Greg Melikov has been handicapping and writing about horses for decades. His articles and columns appear in print and on the Internet around the world. Greg is a retired newspaperman who became a racing fan at 13 when he saw 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, his favorite horse, whip 20 older horses at old Arlington Park.
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Undefeated horse Straight Faced is a race away from becoming the eighth 2-year-old to sweep the Florida Stallion Stakes at 
Greg Melikov has been handicapping and writing about horses for decades. His articles and columns appear in print and on the Internet around the world. Greg is a retired newspaperman who became a racing fan at 13 when he saw 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, his favorite horse, whip 20 older horses at old Arlington Park.
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