Biofuel stays on track with victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Biofuel headed into last Sunday’s Belle Mahone with two objectives. The first was to ensure her eligibility for a Sovereign Award, with the Belle Mahone being the third start in Canada this year, which is necessary for consideration.

Of equal importance was the fact that the Belle Mahone gave Biofuel a timely tune-up for the Grade 2, $750,000 Cotillion, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies at Philadelphia Park on Oct. 2.

Biofuel kept up her end of the equation, as she rallied late under regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva to run down the Arlington invader Askbut I Won’t tell right on the money to get the job done in her first start against older rivals.

While the public backed Biofuel down to 4-5 favoritism, Baker follows the Ragozin sheets and was not nearly so confident.

“I started looking at the numbers, and thought she was going to have to run a better race than she’d ever run before to win, and she did,” said Baker. “It was her best race on Polytrack, for sure.

“But, I still don’t think we’ve seen her best on Polytrack. She’s never been in a race with a big pace, except for the Breeders’ Cup.”

A Kentucky-bred who is owned and was bred by former Kentucky governor Brereton L. Jones, Biofuel finished a troubled fourth when traveling 1 1/16 miles in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface. That effort helped to propel Biofuel to a tie for the Sovereign Award 2-year-old filly title, which she shared with Negligee.

Biofuel returned to win the six-furlong Star Shoot and 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette here in her first two starts this year and then ran third in Belmont’s Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile Mother Goose and second in Saratoga’s Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Coaching Club American Oaks.

Contest entries still being taken

The entry box remains open for the 2010 Woodbine Thoroughbred Handicapping Challenge, which will take place in the trackside tent here Saturday and Sunday.

Contestants will be required to ante up an entry fee of $250 plus an $80 live bankroll to be divided equally between the two days.

Wooodbine, Fort Erie, Saratoga and Monmouth will be the tracks in play, and entrants will be required to put up $2 win-place wagers on 10 different races per day, including three mandatory races chosen by contest organizers. There will be $42 cap on win wagers and $22 on place wagers.

A maximum of 275 entries, with a maximum of two per person, will be taken and all prize money will be returned to the players.

There will be $5,000 to be divided among the top three finishers at the end of Saturday’s play with the remainder being paid out to the top 10 at the end of the two-day contest.

The top three finishes also will win a trip to Las Vegas for the 2011 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Thoroughbred Handicapping Championship.

Additional information and registration is available at the second-floor customer service desk here at Woodinbe.

◗ Live video streaming of Woodbine’s Thoroughbred simulcast signal, formerly available to HorsePlayer Interactive members, now is offered without restriction on the Woodbine Entertainment Group’s website. The website also has introduced a live feed with recent Twitter updates provided by commentators from Woodbine’s media communications and television departments.