BEAR - WOW!

BREEDERS' CUP FOR THE BEAR!!!!
101 Beyer in big win yesterday...


FROM PHILLYBURBS.COM
BY JOE JONES

Trainer Reade Baker thought Bear Now shipped to Delaware Park too late when she ran a dull fourth in the Delaware Oaks in mid-July.

Baker decided to send his three-year-old filly from her home base at Woodbine in Toronto to Philadelphia Park about a week ahead of Saturday's Grade II $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap.

And it paid off as Bear Now grabbed the lead at the start and never relinquished it. She quickly ended a two-prong challenge at the top of the stretch from Talkin About Love and Octave, the overwhelming 2-5 favorite, and pulled away to a two-length win.

“We probably shipped her a couple days late to Delaware Park,” Baker said. “She just got a little shook up.”

Not this time. Jockey Jerry Baird took Bear Now to the lead at the start and was challenged up front early by outsider Exchanging Fire through an opening quarter in 23 2/5 seconds and the half in 46 2/5.

Bear Now, at 8-1, put away Exchanging Fire and then had multiple Grade I winner Octave, with Eclipse Award winning jockey John Velazquez aboard, threatening on the outside and Talkin About Love, 5-for-5 this year, coming on the inside.

But once the three horses straightened out and made their dash for home, Bear Now moved away from her other two rivals, getting to the wire first in the seven-horse field of three-year-old fillies.

Octave finished second and Talkin About Love, at 7-1, took third.

Velazquez said Octave had no excuses.

“She ran a good race,” Velazquez said. “The other horse had a little more speed. I had to stay close and moved a little earlier than I would have liked because it looked like speed was holding up on the track.”

Bear Now won for the first time on a dirt track. All five previous wins had come at Woodbine, where the main track's surface is synthetic. She had finished no better than a distant third in three career tries on dirt.

Baker said Bear Now, which has won half of her 12 career starts and has career earnings near $850,000 after earning the Cotillion's $450,000 winner's share, will make her next start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Monmouth Park in late October.

Asked if he'll ship her to the New Jersey track early, Baker responded quickly and emphatically.

“Darn right.”

“VERY SUPERIOR”

That was the chart comment for MONASHEE, won won her 10^th straight stakes race under 130 LBS! yesterday in the Delta Colleen Stakes at Hastings Park, surely earning her the Sovereign Award for top oldermare in Canada The Kentucky-bred by Wolf Power was likely making her last start in Canada before being bred next year

And another good 3yo filly…ALPINE GARDEN won the British Columbia Breeders’ Cup Oaks for owner Bob Cheema and trainer Terry Jordan. The Lemon Drop Kid-Clarinova,by Danzig Kentucky bred was the favourite and won the 9 furlong race in 1:52 1/5 by 1 ¼ lengths.

WOODBINE WRAP

Carryover up to $31,000 for the PICK 7…Tough sledding yesterday with some head scratching results..selectors had a terrible time picking winners yesterday!

Race 2- RESILIENCY (Jump Start) won at almost 6 to 1 in a maiden 2yo race for $20K claiming despite no previous close finishes in 4 starts. Tyler Pizarro was taking over for the first time.

RACE 3- Trainer Red Johnston said before the race his filly BOBBI SIOUX (Indian Charlie) might be in trouble with other speed in the race, so Constant Montpellier just ginned her and she widened all the way to win with a 74 Beyer.

RACE 4 – Slowest race to be seen at Woodbine all summer, LANES FOLLY (Archers Bay) won the $20K claimer for maiden fillies going a route distance (149 and change). COPETOWN had nowhere to go from the turn to the 1/8^th pole and was arguably best. Some exclaimed that she got A “GREAT RIDE” from jockey Danny David, who came off the filly and said on TV and he was not happy with his ride. Kudos to Danny D. for being honest and credible.

RACE 5 – KETTLE RAPIDS (Mizzen Mast) was racing at 5 furlongs in the spring, couldn’t win his maiden, went off form in sprints and then suddenly, was stretched out in distance. Now he’s an allowance winner at 1 1/2miles on the turf. Go figure.

RACE 6 – The La Lorgnette Stakes. “She left it all out there, there was nothing left” said Montpellier about the little filly DANCE TO MY TUNE (Stravinsky-Bandore), won the stake over a late closing SERENADING. The $14K (US) yearling purchase beat the A P Indy filly by a long neck and ran a 76 Beyer Figure. Owners – Dave Cotey et al. Bred by Hope Stock Farm in Ontario.

RACE 7 – FIGHT THE STORM (Stormy Atlantic) led all the way to win her grass debut in a $50K claimer under Emma-Jayne Wilson and that was another mild upset for a filly who usually races off too fast on the pace. Owner – Lindy’s Racing, trainer John Charalambous.

RACE 8 – The PICK 7 wrapped up with another JOHN ROSS trained 2yo (Resiliency was the other). KALEIDOSCOPE KERRY, starting from the 10 post in an 11 horse field for her debut, won on the lead by 1 ¼ lengths and paid $21 in 59 2/5.

The One Way Love filly is out of Kerry Dancer and was bred by John Carey in Ontario.

Oh yes, MARK CASSE still managed to win a race yesterday despite only 2 in the entries. CHARITY QUEST, the gal who has been a champion bridesmaid to this point 1 with 7 runner-up placings, won her maiden at 7 to 2 in a 1 1 /16 mile turf race.

TODAY AT WOODBINE

Pick 7 is oh-so tough, here goes..

RACE 2- Looking at UNCANNY JUDITH to show speed and be tough on the pace, RUN FOR FREEDOM drops in class.

RACE 3- 2YO FILLIES going a route distance…NOFUNATHOME fits trainer Greg de Gannes’ profile and COROSSOL looks very logical.

RACE 4- FLAIMING PAGE STAKES is THE NIAGARA QUEEN’S to win or lose but beware,she comes off a paired top..SANTELENA may be interesting with Todd Kabel up.

RACE 5 – Tough allowance dash with nice ones like GESTE, FULL OF RUN,BOLD COMMENT and RED RAFFLES.

RACE 6 – Older guys, REGAL VALLEY has been on a roll, he’s in a new barn, GREAT ADDICTION takes a class plunge.

RACE 7 – Tough claimer for $10K, fillies. OUT OF SESSION, MARIA BONITA? Get a price one.

RACE 8 – The SKY CLASSIC STAKES, Grade 2, with older guys REVVED UP, LAST ANSWER, meeting younger dudes like MARSH SIDE, LINDA’S LAD, STERWINS, CLOUDYS’ KNIGHT. The latter is our pick.

Good Luck!