Bear Tough Tiger held stable mate by a neck to prevail in the Kennedy Road
Bear Stables’ 4-year-old gelding, Bear Tough Tiger, trained by Reade Baker recorded his first ever stake score in 4 attempts, when he rallied on the outside and went on to defeat stable mate, Bear no Joke, to land the Canadian Grade 3, $127,940 Kennedy Road
Stakes at Woodbine Race Course on 25 November, 2012.
It was a good way to bounce back from his most recent start on 14 October, 2012, in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes, in which he finished third by a mere length, after pressing the pace on the Woodbine’s turf course, however, this time around in the Kennedy
Road Stakes he prevailed over his stable mate by a mere neck.
The 11 to 10 choice in the field of nine, Canada’s male sprinter in 2011, Essence Hit Man, was the one to breakout swiftly from the gate and set the track ablaze, with his blistering pace, as he went on to clock the opening quarter mile in 21.84 seconds
and half mile in 44.18 seconds in the 6 furlong event on Polytrack.
Essence Hit Man was out to do a double on Kennedy Road Stakes, as he landed it last year, but it was Something Extra who pressurised the champion sprinter all the way and piled up some more in the stretch.
The leader giving way in the end because of nagging run from Something Extra, and gave Bear Tough Tiger, who broke from the rail and after a handy ride, angled wide, and went on to gradually get the better of Bear No Joke, who is also trained by Reade Baker
for Bear Stables.
Although, setting a fiery pace, Essence Hit Man finished fifth on the day after making his first start since the death of his trainer, Audre Cappuccitti.
"They ran away from everyone pretty quickly and opened up a good lengthy lead," said Stein of the pacesetters. "My horse was settled into stride down on the inside, and I was all by myself sitting there waiting for the race to develop as we came around the
turn."
The gutsy horse, Bear Tough Tiger, should have won the Nearctic Stakes after doing all the hard work, but couldn’t make up that single length, but his first graded stakes victory means that he will be among the company from now on.
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