Tom Fool Next Target for Calibrachoa

Calibrachoa – winner of four Grade 3 stakes at Aqueduct, including Saturday’s Toboggan – will aim for a fifth as the 5-year-old has been pointed toward the $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 3, the Todd Pletcher stable has said.

Owned by Mike Repole, Calibrachoa won the Toboggan for the second straight year, improving his inner-track record to 4-for-4. The son of Southern Image prefers having ample time between starts, but the Pletcher stable believes the four weeks between the Toboggan and the Tom Fool will provide sufficient rest. Like with the Toboggan, Calibrachoa won the Tom Fool in 2011.

“I’m telling you what, he looked great yesterday,” said Whit Beckman, assistant to Pletcher. “With the way Todd explained it, the [Tom Fool] would be the plan.”

Caixa Eletronica, who finished third in the Toboggan for Pletcher and Repole, exited the race in good shape and remains on target for a start in the Grade 2 General George Handicap on February 20 at Laurel Park, Beckman said.

“The horse has showed in the past that he doesn’t need much space between races,” the assistant explained.

Beckman said the barn discovered How Do I Win, fourth in the Grade 3 Withers, grabbed a quarter at some point on Saturday.

“He looked good this morning,” said Beckman. “He must have grabbed a quarter on the outside of his right front foot, either before or after the race, maybe when he dropped [jockey] Cornelio [Velasquez] in the post parade.”