Bold Venture sets up for Smokey Fire

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Smokey Fire overhauled the tiring 2-5 favorite, Hollywood Hit, in the stretch to take Saturday’s $168,000 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine.

Hollywood Hit set wind-aided fractions of 21.91 seconds and 43.56 in the six-furlong event, while being pressed by two-time Bold Venture winner Fatal Bullet, who was hard ridden by Eurico Da Silva. Smokey Fire raced three lengths off the lead on the turn in third and then came wide in the stretch, overtaking Hollywood Hit at the sixteenth pole en route to a 1 3/4-length win, in a time of 1:15.78.

Fatal Bullet faded to finish a distant third, and Major Marvel trailed the four-horse race, which had no place or show wagering.

Emma Wilson rode Smokey Fire for the Jim Dandy Stable and trainer Sid Attard. Smokey Fire paid $10.90.

“It set up nicely for my horse, and he came with a big kick late,” said Wilson, who also rode Smokey Fire when he won his previous start Nov. 21 in the Grade 3 Kennedy Road Stakes.

First money of $112,500 boosted Smokey Fire’s bankroll to $382,908.

Another upset took place in Saturday’s other stakes, when Glory Game ($16.60) beat Kentucky shipper Madman Diaries, the 2-5 favorite, in the $150,000 Colin for 2-year-olds.

Madman Diaries hooked up with Brock N Rock through wind-aided splits of 21.94 and 44.76 in the six-furlong sprint. Glory Game commenced a four-wide bid from a stalking position on the turn and then hit the front early in the stretch before holding off Madman Diaries to prevail by two lengths, in a time of 1:09.93. Devilish Stunt was a well-beaten third in the five-horse race, which had no place or show wagering.

Glory Game drifted in late in the stretch, and jockey Jeffrey Sanchez steadied Madman Diaries, but a stewards’ inquiry resulted in no disqualification.

Patrick Husbands rode Glory Game, who earned $90,000 for owner Martha Gonzalez.

Glory Game dusted $62,500 maidens in his only other outing July 2, an effort that didn’t surprise trainer Nick Gonzalez.

“We really liked him,” Gonzalez said. “We didn’t pay a lot of money for him and he was a gelding. We just thought that high claiming would have been the right spot. He was always very professional, but they all need to learn and he learned a lot from that first race.”