Promising 3-year old colt Ikigai won his stakes debut Saturday, edging out Dukes Flying Tiger by a head in The Kaiser at Calder Race Course.

Calder moved the fivefurlong race from turf to dirt because of heavy morning rain.

After the race, trainer Marty Wolfson said he would have scratched Ikigai if The Kaiser had stayed on the turf. Ikigai's four previous races, including two victories at Calder, were on dirt.

Wolfson said he entered the horse on the chance rainy weather would move the race to dirt.

Ikigai was the 3-2 favorite in a field in which seven of his eight rivals were four or older. Wolfson's record of 35 victories in 74 Calder starts this year is attracting many bettors.

Ikigai, ridden by Jermaine Bridgmohan, dueled with Machismo before taking the lead heading into the turn.

He opened a four-length lead in the stretch before Dukes Flying Tiger started gaining.

Ikigai dug in on the rail and held off Dukes Flying Tiger, who was ridden by Carlos Olivero and is trained by Kirk Ziadie. Lettie's Relic finished third, followed by Machismo.

Ikigai paid $4.80, $3.60 and $2.80. He covered five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, a relatively fast time for a 3-year-old under sloppy conditions.

''I did not expect he [Ikigai] would be favored,'' Wolfson said. ``The other horse [Machismo] softened him up with good fractions. I was pleased with how he held on because this was a tough field of older horses.''

Ikigai earned $30,000 of The Kaiser's $50,000 purse.

He is one of several horses that California-based owner Edmund Gann transferred to Wolfson this summer. They had been running for other trainers at major tracks in California and other states.

Gann thought those horses would have a better chance to win and improve at Calder, Wolfson said.

Ikigai ran his first two races at Churchill Downs, finishing seventh and fourth. He now has three victories in five career starts.

Wolfson said he probably will will keep Ikigai in dirt sprint stakes but was uncertain where he will race next.

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