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Reprized Halo pulls off 45-1 shocker in In Reality

By Mike Welsch Jim Lisa
Reprized Halo, the longest shot on the board, pays $94.60 to win after upsetting the In Reality Stakes under apprentice Jose Alvarez.

MIAMI - Reprized Halo, the longest price on the board at 45-1, pulled off one of the biggest shockers in the long history of the Florida Stallion Stakes when he finished full of run under apprentice jockey Jose Alvarez to register a 1 1/2-length victory over Gourmet Dinner, foiling his bid  to sweep the open division of the Stallion series, in Saturday's In Reality Stakes at Calder.

Reprized Halo returned $94.60 to win in the six-horse field. The payoff was the fourth highest in Stallion Stakes history and the second largest ever in the In Reality. Pro Flight paid $118.40 in 1990.

Reprized Halo finally won his maiden after seventh tries over a sloppy track on Sept. 24, scoring by a dozen widening lengths going a mile. He had finished second under a $25,000 claiming tag two weeks earlier.

Reprized Halo was reserved off a contested early pace set by Little Drama and pressed by Decisive Moment. He was last entering the stretch, angled in sharply while rallying through midstretch before striking the lead and edging clear nearing the wire. Gourmet Dinner, the 3-5 favorite who was undefeated in four previous starts, raced wide into the stretch but could offer only a mild closing response while outlasting Decisive Moment by a length for second.

The victory came with the first stakes mount ever for Alvarez, who rides with a seven- pound allowance. Reprized Halo’s final time of 1:50.50 for 1 1/16 miles was more than two seconds slower than the 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather covered the same distance winning the My Dear Girl earlier in the day.

“I always thought he was better than he was running in the afternoon but he wasn’t living up to my expectations so we took the chance running for the claiming tag hoping he would gain some confidence,” said Manny Azpurua, who trains Reprized Halo for owner Roger Urbina. “He didn’t win that day but he moved forward to his good race last time. I don’t have any real plans for him right now.”

Mad Flatter earns BC Dirt Mile berth

Mad Flatter won the first graded race of his career and in the process earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile by virtue of his easy 6 1/4-length triumph over defending champion and 4-5 favorite Mambo Meister in the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap.

Mad Flatter tripped out perfectly under jockey Jon Court, stalking the pace of Riversrunrylee before readily assuming command before six furlongs. Mad Flatter then had plenty left in the tank once settling into the stretch to hold off a mild run from the favorite before extending his advantage at the end.

Mambo Meister had to steady briefly and was shuffled near the rear of the pack after the start, made a quick run to contention leaving the backstretch, but proved no match for Mad Flatter. El Kingdom finished third.

Mad Flatter, a son of Flatter, is owned by the partnership of his breeder Bonnie Heath Farm, Holiday Stable, Bright Brook Farm, and Hinkle Farm. He is trained by Jeff Thornbury.

“We came here because this was a last chance at a Win and You’re In race,” said Thornbury. “We’ll get him back home to Keeneland before we decide on running in the Breeders’ Cup but now we have the option.”

Tannersville takes a tight one from Bim Bam

Tannersville avenged his only previous setback on turf by outgaming Bim Bam to post a hard-fought nose decision in the $75,000 Calder Derby. Saint Dynaformer finished another three lengths farther back in third.

Tannersville ($7.20), another former claimer, worked his way through traffic, hooked up with Bim Bam near midstretch and prevailed after a hard drive. Bim Bam had edged clear in early stretch, dug in bravely when engaged by Tannersville, but lost the head bob.

“That was breathtaking,” said Henry Collazo who trains Tannersville for the Henco, Inc. and Four Horsemen Racing Stable. “I knew he was a good horse from the first time I worked him but I still have to keep pinching myself to make sure he’s real.”