Toocleverforwords beat Joanie's Catch by a length Saturday to win the $100,000 Grade 3 Stage Door Betty Handicap for fillies and mares at Calder.
In the co-featured $100,000 Tropical Park Derby for newly turned 3 year olds, King Congie edged Private Prize by half length with favored Swift Warrior third.
Ridden by Luis Seaz, Toocleverforwords covered the 1 1-16 miles in 1:47 1-5 and paid $8.80, $4.80 and $3.80. The 5-year old daughter of Sherry Elizabeth is owned by Farnsworth Stables LLC and has won three races in a row, two of them stakes. She has earned $201,3o8 in 15 starts.
Joanie's Catch, an 18-1 longshot, returned $13.00 and $8.00. Striking Dancer finished third and paid $5.20.
Toocleverforwords was in fourth much of the race and closed in on Amazing, Even Road and Joanie's Catch with one-eighth of a mile to go. Amazing fell back nearing the 16th pole and Toocleverforwords put away Joanie's Catch in the last 70 yards. Striking Dancer finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Joanie's Catch and a nose in front of Musical Roamne.
King Congie, ridden by Javier Castellano, covered 1 1-8 miles on grass in 1:49 2-5 and paid $9.00, $4.80 and $3.00. The son of Silver, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, increased his career earnings to $89,290. He raced in New York last year, winning in his third and final start.
Private Prize returned $6.40 and $3.60, and Swift Warrior paid $2.80.
King Congie was close to the pace from the start as Private Prize held the lead. Turning for home, King Congie drew even with Private Prize with Swift Warrior and then pulled away in the final yards, winning by 2 1/2 lengths.
Jose Alvarez moved from third to first in the jockey standings Saturday by riding four winners - with an average payoff of $36.60. With three days remaining in the Tropical-at-Calder meeting, Alvarez has 40 winnners, one more than Manoel Cruz and two more than Saez.
Alvarez's wins Saturday included Sunday Delight ($51.40) in the first and Rainbow Cruise ($74.60) in the sixth. He also won the seventh on Country Green ($9.80) and the 12th with My Nicky ($12).
