Judiths Wild Rush goes two turns

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Judiths Wild Rush, Canada's reigning champion sprinter, will try to solidify his hold atop the local sprint ranks in Saturday's $125,000 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine.

The Bold Venture is one of two $125,000 stakes on the 10-race card, joining the Colin Stakes for 2-year-olds, which goes as the eighth race.

Judiths Wild Rush won the 2005 Bold Venture with a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure, but the circumstances will be much different this year. Last year's race was contested at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track; Saturday's race will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs around two turns on the inner track because the main track is being converted into a Polytrack surface.

The last time Judiths Wild Rush competed around two turns, he was a wide-closing third in 2005 Eclipse Handicap at 1 1/16 miles. Trainer Reade Baker said he expects Judiths Wild Rush to handle the distance on Saturday.

"He'll go that far," Baker said. "The only reason he got beat going a mile and a sixteenth last year is because of my instructions to the rider. I was adamant that I wanted him off the pace, and he got him off the pace, but they were just crawling up front. He didn't move soon enough."

Judiths Wild Rush has won his last three races, including the six-furlong Cartier and seven-furlong Vigil Stakes in April. He received a 105 Beyer in both. Following a two-month freshening, Judiths Wild Rush returned in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance prep for the Bold Venture and scored by 1 1/2 lengths, earning a 96 Beyer.

"I expected that kind of race from him in the prep, but I don't think it was his best race," Baker said. "His best races always come tight together. This one should be better."

Trainer Bob Tiller entered Twisted Wit and Are You Serious in the Bold Venture. In the allowance prep, Twisted Wit dueled on the lead through a rapid second quarter before fading to finish fourth. Are You Serious ran the race of his life in the Dec. 10 Kennedy Road Stakes, upsetting a quality field, which included Bishop Court Hill and High Blitz. He finished seventh in the allowance prep.

Tiller said he believes Are You Serious will handle the sharp inner-track turns better than Twisted Wit.