Calibrachoa scores again in Toboggan

Repole Stable's Calibrachoa overcame a stumbling start to post a second consecutive victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan at Aqueduct, a six-furlong inner dirt dash for older horses. Settled in second by jockey Cornelio Velasquez after recovering from the break, the five-year-old caught the pacesetting longshot Diski Dance with just over a furlong remaining and pulled away to an easy 2 1/4-length triumph. Final time over a fast track was 1:09 2/5. Calibrachoa paid $2.90, $2.10 and $2.10 as part of the 4-5 favored entry.

"First jump out of the gate, he stumbled, but he stayed in the race," Velasquez said. "I stayed right there in second easy, and waited until the last three-sixteenths. I asked him, and he passed. I had a lot of horse. He was the best horse in the race."

Diski Dance, sent off at 19-1, was an admirable second after setting splits of :23 1/5 and :46. He held second by three parts of a length over Caixa Eletronica, the entrymate of Calibrachoa, who was in a bit tight down the backside but finished well after falling behind early. The order of finish was rounded out by Candyman E, Flat Bold, Rule by Night and Dr Disco. J J's Lucky Train was scratched.

In a race that dates to 1890, the Toboggan had previously been won back-to-back by Octagon (1898-98), High Noon (1915-16), Osmand (1928-29), Okapi (1933-34), Eight Thirty (1940-41), Devil Diver (1943-44), Rippey (1948-49) and Affirmed Success (2002-03).

Initially campaigned by breeder Nelson Bunker Hunt, Calibrachoa was claimed by his present connections for $40,000 on November 18, 2010. He's now won five times in nine starts for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, including the 2010 Gravesend and the 2011 editions of the Toboggan, Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap and Grade 3 Bold Ruler. He also placed third last season in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap, Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Grade 2 True North Handicap. Now a perfect four-for-four over Aqueduct's inner dirt, his career mark now reads 19-9-3-4, $546,040.

"We'll look at the Tom Fool [March 3]," Pletcher said. "He's so good at Aqueduct we have to look at it."

Pletcher added that Grade 3 winner Caixa Eletronica would likely head to the Grade 2 General George Handicap at Laurel.

A Kentucky-bred, Calibrachoa was produced by the Grade 2-placed Fort Lauderdale, a daughter of Montbrook who is a half-sister to the dam of Grade 1 winner and sire Bellamy Road. Members of this extended family include Grade 1 winners General Assembly, Versailles Treaty and Gold Fever.

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