Bessarabian Stakes: Our Secret Agent can boost her value again prior to auction

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Our Secret Agent won her first stakes in a timely manner in the Grade 3 Hendrie here Oct. 23. She’s entered in the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, and before she heads off to Kentucky she will have another opportunity to boost her value in Saturday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Bessarabian at Woodbine.

Trained by Mark Casse, Our Secret Agent had placed in six consecutive stakes before ending up fifth in the Grade 2 Canadian on the grass Sept. 18. Cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta in the Hendrie, she ran the race of her life under Kazushi Kimura, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It was an easy win, a good race,” Kimura said. “This is the second time [I rode her]. I broke the maiden. I [wanted] to sit second, and that was pretty comfortable for her. She exploded.”

Trainer Steve Owens opted for the seven-furlong Bessarabian for Juxtapose after also nominating her to Saturday’s Grade 3 Maple Leaf going 1 1/4 miles.

Juxtapose won two of three turf starts in allowance company during the summer before checking in third in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron on the Tapeta on Oct 10. Owens said the late-blooming 4-year-old prefers the grass.

“She handles any surface, but I think she’s a better turf horse,” Owens said. “She’s matured over the last year and a half. She gets along with my rider, and we take her out with the pony every morning, which settles her down.”

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Trainer Mike Trombetta sends out Spun Glass and Aug Lutes, who beat 3-year-old fillies in the seven-furlong Glen Cove Stakes on the Belmont turf on Oct. 15.

Maple Leaf Stakes

Casse entered Art of Almost, Crystal Glacier, Skygaze, and Broadway Lady in the $150,000 Maple Leaf, which he won last year with Heavenly Curlin.

Art of Almost, the runner-up in last year’s Maple Leaf, beat two stablemates here Oct. 10 while notching her first stakes in the Ontario Matron, during which she closed from sixth to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over Skygaze.

Crystal Glacier attended a moderate pace in the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Matron before flattening out to fourth. She was previously second to Skygaze in the 1 1/16-mile Belle Mahone, and was beaten just a nose by Souper Escape in the Grade 3 Trillium here June 26. The Curlin filly has a run-on pedigree.

Skygaze has been a model of consistency since last fall, winning four of her last six outings. She got an 87 Beyer for her Belle Mahone victory, and had a wide trip as the heavy favorite in the Matron.

Broadway Lady is also entered in the Keeneland sale. She won a recent second-level allowance easily on the grass with a 91 Beyer.

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