Pace favors B'cause B'cause at Woodbine

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The possibility of a contested pace should help set the table for a stalking B'cause B'cause in Thursday's seventh race at Woodbine, a $40,000 claimer for nonwinners of three. The race is at 1 1/16 miles over the Polytrack.

B'cause B'cause, a 3-year-old son of Whywhywhy, had a productive 2-year-old season, although it took him a while to put it all together. He graduated over $20,000 maidens in his seventh start in November, and then capped his campaign by running third in a $32,000 claimer.

B'cause B'cause closed mildly at six furlongs in his 2009 debut, which set him up nicely for a May 15 score over $40,000 nonwinners-of-two stock. He set slow fractions traveling 1 1/16 miles in that event, and prevailed by a nose as the favorite.

B'cause B'cause tried the grass for the first time most recently in a seven-furlong allowance, and finished a flat sixth behind several formidable opponents. Stylish Citizen, the third-place runner, came back to post an upset in the $101,250 Charlie Barley, and victorious Bear's Prospector wound up third in that same stakes.

Patrick Husbands will ride B'cause B'cause for trainer Bob Tiller, who has posted excellent numbers with his turf-to-synthetic runners.

The potential speed horses are Apalachee Storm, Hubbert's Peak, and Bears Tiger.

Apalachee Storm has earned a good living in the Ontario-sired ranks. He was in peak form last fall, when he captured an Ontario-sired allowance for nonwinners of two, and wound up third in two restricted allowances for nonwinners of three.

Apalachee Storm was only an early factor in his first start this year, which came in a fast allowance sprint. Last time out going long, he led the way along the inside over an outside-biased track before backing up in the stretch.

Hubbert's Peak has ventured around two turns only once, which resulted in a fading ninth-place finish in an Ontario-sired allowance in October of 2007. Hubbert's Peak has been a profitable claim for trainer Scott Fairlie, who has earned over $100,000 with him since taking him for just $10,000 late in 2007. He has been in declining form this year, and his new rider, apprentice Krista Carignan, might be inclined to let him roll after breaking from the rail.

Bears Tiger has struggled on the dirt in Western Canada since leaving Woodbine last summer, when he was in good Polytrack form.