Noholdingback Bear looks to break through in Woodstock Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Noholdingback Bear will be looking to shake a recent run of second-place finishes and record his first stakes win in Sunday’s $125,000 Woodstock Stakes for 3-year-olds over six furlongs on Woodbine’s Tapeta surface.

Noholdingback Bear won his maiden in his first career start at Woodbine on Sept. 27 before recording two consecutive runner-up finishes in the Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 31 and the Grade 3 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 2.

After a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Swale Stakes over seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Jan. 30, Noholdingback Bear finished second once again to the front-running Manhattan Dan in his most recent start in the Texas Glitter Stakes over five furlongs on turf Feb. 27.

“It would be nice if we could win one, for sure,” trainer Michael De Paulo said. “We ran him seven-eighths the start before, and sometimes that takes a little bit of the lick out of them when you go five-eighths. The horse that won the race was on the lead in the Breeders’ Cup, and I guess he stopped, but he just got the jump on everybody, and he was gone.”

Noholdingback Bear has prepped for the Woodstock with three breezes over Woodbine’s new Tapeta main track, most recently covering five furlongs in 59.20 seconds last Sunday.

“He’s training well,” De Paulo said. “He had a good winter, and we’re hoping to get rolling with him here.”

Key Contenders

Noholdingback Bear, by Put It Back
Last 3 Beyers: 72-80-79

◗ DRF FORMULATOR FACT: De Paulo and jockey Eurico Da Silva have combined to win 24 percent of their 155 starts together over the past five years and have returned a flat-bet profit. They combined to win last weekend’s Jacques Cartier Stakes with Passion for Action.

Beliveau, by Where’s the Ring
Last 3 Beyers: 77-73-46

◗ He’ll be making his first start since winning the Clarendon Stakes on July 5 and overcoming a bout with colic, and he’s been training in Ocala, Fla., for his return.

“He got colic and ended up going to the University of Guelph,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He spent some time there with some type of colitis. It took him a long time to get over it, and then we sent him home. He was in Ocala all winter. He’s doing really well.”

Hollywood Hideaway, by Zensational
Last 3 Beyers: 58-75-77

◗ He’ll shed blinkers and add Lasix for his first start since the Grade 2 Summer Stakes last September.

◗ He dueled with Beliveau to the wire in his career debut in the Victoria Stakes last July and was placed first in that event.