Get'erdonebud should handle surface switch in revamped Victoria Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There’s a new twist in the first 2-year-old stakes of the meet, the $125,000 Victoria, which has been contested over five furlongs on Woodbine’s main track forever.
Saturday’s renewal of the Victoria has been moved to the grass and lengthened to six furlongs, perhaps with the hope of attracting a large field. Get’erdonebud will be among the favorites off his sharp debut May 22, when he won a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on the Polytrack by three lengths under Tyler Pizarro.
“He came out of the race real good,” said owner-trainer John Ross. “He’s in great shape. I’ve always liked him. He’s quite mature, very nicely put together. He has a nice disposition about himself and great conformation.”
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All eight runners will compete on grass for the first time in the Victoria. Ross isn’t overly concerned about the surface change for Get’erdonebud, who wintered in Florida.
“When I had him down at Payson Park, he galloped over their turf, which is similar to [Woodbine’s],” Ross said. “He seemed to go over it beautifully. I never got a chance to work him here on the turf because of all the rain we had. The pedigree suggests it will be okay.”
The Victoria is the sixth race on a 10-race card.
KEY CONTENDERS
Get’erdonebud (Beyer: 51)
◗ The $35,000 yearling purchase is a full brother to Ross’s R U Watchingbud, who won the Queenston Stakes in May but might miss the July 5 Queen’s Plate after falling during a collision in last Sunday’s Plate Trial Stakes.
“He got jarred up,” Ross said.
Beliveau (Beyer: 46)
◗ The Mark Casse-trained gelding closed powerfully after breaking a bit slowly to win his only race convincingly, after which he galloped out strongly. It was against a seemingly modest group of Ontario-sired maidens.
Conquest City Girl
◗ The unraced daughter of superb turf sire City Zip out of turf stakes winner Woodsmoke was a $525,000 juvenile purchase by Casse for Conquest Stables. She worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 over the turf training course June 5 and covered the same distance in 1:02.40 on Polytrack on June 11.
Iluvbeefstew (Beyers: 70-45)
◗ He graduated second time out with the addition of Lasix on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs for owner-trainer Adam Rice.
Mykonos (Beyer: 54-NA)
◗ Another Presque Isle-based second-out maiden winner, he finished a distant second at first asking at Keeneland for owner-trainer Wayne Rice.
Dragon Bay
◗ The first-timer was supplemented at a cost of $2,500 off an impressive half-mile gate drill in 48.80 seconds last Saturday.