Ford Every Stream tries turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ford Every Stream will make his anticipated grass debut in Wednesday's Woodbine feature, a second-level allowance race for 3-year-olds and up.

Ford Every Stream, a blue-blooded son of Seeking the Gold, has a turf pedigree. All three of his half-siblings to try the grass won on it - Comet Kris, Flow Freely, and Water Music. Comet Kris was the best of that trio, having finished third in the 1998 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Ford Every Stream's dam, Classic Slew, by Seattle Slew, is a half-sister to six turf stakes winners, including Grade 1 winners Sky Classic and Always a Classic.

Ford Every Stream finished a non-threatening fourth as the favorite in the 2002 Queen's Plate. He raced with the pace before fading badly in the second leg of the 2002 Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, and ran two dull races following a layoff in the fall.

Ford Every Stream was freshened for the winter, and resurfaced in a seven-furlong allowance April 13 at Keeneland, in which he finished up the track after pressing the pace. He was prominent throughout a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race here May 3, and was beaten on the wire for first by Bronze Bayou, who came back to win an $80,000 optional claiming race last Saturday.

Todd Kabel, who has been riding well, retains the mount on Ford Every Stream for owner Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad.

Also entered in the six-furlong race were: Sir Blitz, Wild Bandit, Supreme Judge, Wild Strike, Open Chronicle, Mortgage Man, Prideofthecoombe, Jrsoutofcontrol, Glean, and Spooning.

Sir Blitz performed to the fine grass breeding on the dam's side of his pedigree when he won his first turf start last spring. He was inconsistent throughout the remainder of 2002, and is returning from a six-month layoff in his first attempt for trainer Danny Vella.

Supreme Judge has had lots of time off during his career. He is competing for the first time since Oct. 14, when he finished a fast-closing third in a one-mile race at this level. Trained by Malcolm Pierce, he won two six-furlong turf races here in 2001.

Jrsoutofcontrol has shipped in from Keeneland following a three-race winter stint at the Fair Grounds, where he finished a close second in a one-mile dirt race at this condition Feb. 6. Mike Mareina trains.

Wild Strike returns from a 1 1/2-year layoff, and has been working regularly for trainer Mike Keogh.