Barbeau Ruckus eyes 3rd Elgin

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Barbeau Ruckus, who surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings this year, will be the poster boy for Monday's yearling sales stakes program when he competes in the 1 1/16-mile Elgin here at Woodbine.

The Elgin is for colts and geldings, aged 3 and up, and is one of six $125,000 stakes races here Monday restricted to horses who passed through the ring at local yearling sales.

Barbeau Ruckus, a 7-year-old gelding, will be seeking his third win in the Elgin, having captured the 2003 and 2005 renewals. He also finished third in the 2002 Elgin.

Trained this year by George Newland, Barbeau Ruckus has seen action just three times, with his lone win coming in the Steady Growth, a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired runners here June 10.

In his last start, which came in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup over 1 1/16 miles on the inner dirt track, Barbeau Ruckus made a big move on the far turn but wound up third under rider Todd Kabel.

"He didn't like the sharp turns; he's such a big horse," said Newland. "When [Kabel] asked him to go, he kind of blew the turn."

Barbeau Ruckus, like all of his opponents in the Elgin, will be racing on Polytrack for the first time.

"We gave him a couple of test runs, and I really liked how he handled it," said Newland.

Kabel retains the mount on Barbeau Ruckus, who is slated to break from post 8 as the 124-pound highweight.

Ever So Free, a 4-year-old gelding who has been trained this year by Reade Baker, finished second to Barbeau Ruckus in last year's Elgin and is a decided threat to turn the tables here.

In his last start, which also came in the Seagram Cup, Ever So Free rallied strongly to beat out Barbeau Ruckus by a half-length for second.

"He's just gotten good; he didn't come to hand very easily," said Baker.

Ever So Free, who gets in with 117 pounds, drew post 5 and will have regular rider Jim McAleney in the irons.

Are You Serious won the 7 1/2-furlong Bold Venture this summer, but perhpas his best race was his victory in the six-furlong Kennedy Road here last December. Corey Fraser has the call on Are You Serious at 117 pounds.

Both Are You Serious and Sextet are listed in the Elgin's field of nine but are cross-entered in other yearling sales. Are You Serious also is named for the six-furlong Kenora, and Sextet will probably run in the Halton, a one-mile turf race.

Kenora: 'Dave' looks to repeat

Bob Tiller, who trains Are You Serious, also has entered Dave the Knave and Twisted Wit in the Kenora, which drew a field of seven.

Dave the Knave won last year's Kenora as a 3-year-old and comes into this edition off an emphatic 3 3/4-length win in the 7 1/2-furlong Shepperton here Aug. 6.

"He was up in the last jump last year," said Tiller. "I think he can win cutting back to six furlongs; he's very good right now."

David Clark again gets the call on Dave the Knave, who is the 124-pound co-highweight. Should Are You Serious run in the Kenora, he also would carry 124.

Mister Coop, a 7-year-old gelding owned by Syd Cooper, will be making just his second start of the season in the Kenora. Late coming to the racetrack this year after his last campaign was cut short by an undisclosed problem, Mister Coop finished third in the Shepperton, beaten eight lengths by Dave the Knave.

"I just wanted to get a race into him, get him back on the board," said trainer Danny Vella.

Emile Ramsammy rides Mister Coop, who drew post 1 and gets in with 119 pounds.

Trainers of the winners of the yearling sales stakes will receive a $10,000 credit to the upcoming CTHS yearling sales here, with the proviso that the horse cannot have been claimed at any time.

The selected session of this year's local CTHS sales will take place on Tuesday, beginning at 3 p.m. in the Woodbine sales pavilion. The preferred session goes in the same location on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.