Kimchi vs. Sweet Breanna again

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Kimchi and Sweet Breanna, the one-two finishers in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 12, will resume their rivalry Sunday in Fort Erie's $250,000 Bison City Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile Bison City, which drew a field of six, follows the Woodbine Oaks as the second leg in the crown series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. The series concludes with the $250,000 Wonder Where, a 1 1/4-mile turf race at Woodbine on July 29.

made just her third start of the season in the Woodbine Oaks, where she defeated Sweet Breanna by 1 3/4 lengths while racing without blinkers for the first time.

In her start before the Woodbine Oaks, Kimchi had been beaten 5 1/4 lengths as the runner-up to Sweet Breanna in a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance at Woodbine on May 13.

"Actually, I feel that she's coming into this race better than she went into the Oaks," said Mark Casse, who trains Kimchi for Seasoft Stable. "I think she'll like the Fort Erie surface. It tends not to be cuppy, and she struggles a little bit when the track's loose."

Kimchi tuned up for the Bison City by working five furlongs in 1:00.60 under regular rider Patrick Husbands at Woodbine last Saturday. Casse said she galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.

"She breezed great," said Casse.

also worked at Woodbine last weekend, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 on Sunday.

"She worked unbelievable and came out of it so good," said Steve Attard, who trains Sweet Breanna for owner Les Pereira. "She's going into the Bison City in tip-top shape."

In the Woodbine Oaks, Sweet Breanna forced the pace of eventual third-place finisher Seductively and kept battling back in the final furlong after being passed by Kimchi.

"We made the decision not to let Seductively go out on her own," said Attard. "If she was left to herself, then she might have kept on going."

, a Storm Cat filly trained by Eric Coatrieux, would seem to be the only upset possibility in the Bison City.

Coatrieux began targeting the Bison City this spring when he realized Essential Edge would not be ready for the Woodbine Oaks after ankle problems had cut her 2-year-old campaign short after two starts.

In her season debut, Essential Edge tuned up with a 10 1/2-length win in a "B" maiden special over 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine on June 14. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88, which equals the Beyer earned by Kimchi in the Woodbine Oaks.

"Stepping up into a stakes is not an easy thing to do. That's obvious," said Coatrieux. "But she looks really good."

Coatrieux said Essential Edge had her major workout for the Bison City at her Chiefswood base last Monday, breezing five furlongs in 1:01 under regular rider Robert Landry.

Rounding out the Bison City field are Keeping Da Faith and the maidens Arden Belle and Family Love.

The field

Bison City
Purse: $250,000; 1 1/16 miles

* All starters carry 121 pounds
* Track odds
* Television: Saturday, 4:47 p.m. (Eastern), The Score