Late scratch Mighty Quinn finds new spot

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mighty Quinn, a late scratch from Saturday's Cup and Saucer Stakes, should be well backed in Wednesday's $103,800 Frost King Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

Mighty Quinn hasn't done much wrong in three starts for trainer Malcolm Pierce. He graduated July 1 in a maiden special with a wide bid, beating subsequent stakes winner Nowyouseeit.

Mighty Quinn used a front-running style en route to running second in his two subsequent races, both in restricted stakes. He gave way grudgingly when beaten a length by Molly's Wisdom in the six-furlong Bull Page, and then finished 2 3/4 lengths behind unbeaten Rare Friends in the seven-furlong Simcoe.

Pierce withdrew Mighty Quinn from the Cup and Saucer because of the course turned up soft.

"I thought the turf was kind of unsafe," he said. "We were going to try him on firm turf because he's worked over that type of surface, but he's never trained over turf which was that soggy. He could strain something over that kind of track, and I didn't want to have to put him away for the year if he got hurt." Pierce sees the Frost King as a viable alternative to the Cup and Saucer.

"We had this race to go right back into," he said. "We'd have been 5-1 on Saturday. He might be the favorite on Wednesday night. He's been training really well. He's been wanting to run."

Completing the field are Feelitfirst, Grimer, Chivas On Ice, Barath, Boy Bandit, and Barbeau Ruckus.

Barbeau Ruckus could be in a good outside position near all the speed on the backstretch, and should be a major player under Dino Luciani. He was slow leaving the gate in some of his early races, but he graduated in a romp when he put it all together in a Sept. 2 maiden race, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Trainer Ross Aramata, who bypassed the Sept. 23 Swynford Stakes with Barbeau Ruckus in favor of this spot, said the gelding showed abilityright from the time he began working in the spring.

"He was working with Molly's Wisdom," Armata said, "and they were beating each other back and forth. I always knew he could run."

Trainer Norm DeSouza sends out the entry of Grimer and Barath, both maidens by Bold Executive. Grimer gave favored Rare Friends a run for his money when second in the Swynford, an open seven-furlong race.