Fournier has two contenders
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Fournier entered two Bruno Schickedanz-owned runners in Saturday's $125,000 New Providence Stakes at Woodbine, Yummy With Butter and Legal Move. He said he plans on running both in the six-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired stock.
Yummy With Butter, nicknamed Popcorn around the barn, scored just once in nine starts last year, but he managed to place in four stakes, including the New Providence.
When he came off a winter break April 4, Yummy With Butter closed for fourth after getting away slowly in a five-furlong optional claimer.
"He ducked out about five paths after he broke," Fournier said. "It cost him a lot of lengths, but I'm not saying that he would have gotten up. He closed ground, and galloped out strong."
Yummy With Butter has been pointed towards the New Providence, and Fournier is content with his condition.
"He's been training forwardly," said Fournier. "His last breeze was very good for him. He's pretty sharp."
Legal Move nosed out Yummy With Butter for second in the 2008 New Providence after capturing the six-furlong Jacques Cartier Stakes.
In two starts in April, Legal Move was a narrowly beaten third in the allowance prep for the Jacques Cartier before finishing a flat fifth in the Jacques Cartier itself.
"He just didn't run his race last time," Fournier said. "He didn't get the greatest trip. He got trapped in behind horses, and leveled himself off. He came out of it in good order."
Fournier said he isn't crazy about running Legal Move back in two weeks on Saturday.
"There's really nothing else for him here after this race," Fournier explained. "I'll run him here, and then give him a little break. I don't want to run him seven-eighths. I don't think he can go that far."
Drunken Love is one of several front-runners in the nine-horse field.
Drunken Love won 4 of 8 starts last year. He came wide from just off the pace to win his season opener in an optional claimer on April 25.
Multiple Stakes winner Stuck in Traffic never threatened after blowing the break when he came off an extended layoff in the prep for the Jacques Cartier.