IMAWILDANDCRAZYGUY TRIES 1 & 1/2 MILES FOR THE THIRD TIME

Imawildandcrazyguy takes experience into marathon race

BY NICK FORTUNA

As the horses barrel down the stretch in the $55,000 Plagiarize Stakes at Calder Race Course on Saturday, their chests heaving because of the 1 ½-mile distance, Florida-bred Imawildandcrazyguy just might have an edge as the only horse in the field who has ever run that far before.

Imawildandcrazyguy leads the eight-horse field with $557,075 in earnings and ranks second with 28 career starts, but it’s his two starts at Saturday’s marathon distance that might prove invaluable to the 4-year-old gelding.

The son of Wild Event ran sixth to Delosvientos in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park in June and was sixth at the New York track behind Rags to Riches in last year’s Belmont Stakes (G1). Though those performances weren’t the most impressive of his career, trainer Bill Kaplan said they might have helped prepare him for Saturday.

“I think it’s a plus for him because the other horses have never experienced it,” Kaplan said. “There’s a big difference between going 1 1/16 miles and going a mile and a half, so it’s an advantage to have done it before. He’s coming into the race good, so there are no problems there.”

Imawildandcrazyguy, bred by Ocala’s Ward and Geraldine Theisen, has earned all four of his victories at Calder, including a half-length win over Finallymadeit in May in the Sumter overnight stakes. Finallymadeit avenged that loss in his last start, winning Calder’s Band is Passing Stakes on Aug. 16 by four lengths as Imawildandcrazyguy finished third.

Kaplan said Finallymadeit, who will have Calder’s leading jockey, Paco Lopez, aboard Saturday, might be the horse to beat. Finallymadeit leads the field with 32 starts and ranks second with $481,365 in earnings. The Florida-bred son of Concerto has gotten 11 of his 12 victories at Calder but has been used mostly in shorter races. In fact, six of his last 10 starts have been six furlongs or shorter.

Finallymadeit also is entered in Saturday’s $55,000 Vid Stakes at Calder, a race that might be more to his liking at 7 ½ furlongs. Regardless of which horses run in the race, Kaplan said Imawildandcrazyguy will need his competitors to set a sharp pace if he is to rally late and win.

“It all comes down to the pace,” he said. “If the pace is too slow, he’s not going to be able to pass them in the stretch, but if it’s a fast pace, he’ll be able to pass them. I should have put a rabbit in there, but I didn’t. Whether the other horses can handle the distance, we’ve yet to find out.”

Imawildandcrazyguy, who sold to Lewis Pell and Michael Eigner for $17,000 at OBS in August 2005, has finished among the top three in 15 of his 28 starts. He has one win and three third-place finishes in eight starts this year. He’ll break from the No. 2 post under jockey Manoel Cruz.

The field also includes Florida-breds It’s a Bird, Alarming Afleet and La Blanqueada as well as Kentucky-breds Mr. Unstoppable, Too Good and A. P. Eddie.

It’s a Bird also is entered in the Vid Stakes, but trainer Marty Wolfson said he plans to try him in the Plagiarize. The 5-year-old son of Birdonthewire won a $40,000 optional claiming race at Calder on Aug. 30 and is coming off a pair of bullet workouts, including a four-furlong breeze in 49 seconds on Tuesday.

It’s a Bird has six victories in 21 starts and has earned $139,965. He’s made 10 starts at Calder, with four wins and a pair of second-place finishes.

“He likes Calder, and he started out there as a young horse,” Wolfson said. “He’s trained really well lately. He’s got a stride that makes me think he’ll be able to go the distance. I think he’ll be right off the pace, but not too far back. In a mile-and-a-half race, you can’t afford to be too far off the pace.”

A. P. Eddie enters the Plagiarize off a three-length win in a $25,000 optional claiming at Calder on Aug. 24. He has four wins in nine career starts.

Too Good has earned all five of his wins at Calder and has made 19 career starts. He won a pair of $16,000 optional claiming races at Calder last month.

Mr. Unstoppable also is eligible to run in the Vid Stakes. He trails the field with $49,507 in earnings from 15 starts, including three wins.

Alarming Afleet has won three of his eight starts this year, giving him six wins in 20 career tries. He posted a 93 Beyer Speed Figure while running third to Finallymadeit in a $35,000 allowance race at Calder on Aug. 3.