'Pyramid' takes on Bad Hat

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Pyramid Park, one of the leading Canadian-bred 2-year-olds this year, goes for his second win in Sunday's $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile event for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds is the supporting feature on closing day of the Woodbine meeting. It also includes the unbeaten Bad Hat, who is making his first start around two turns.

Pyramid Park lit up the tote board like a Christmas tree Oct. 16, when he won his maiden impressively at 53-1 in the $253,200 Cup and Saucer Stakes. After tracking a rapid pace in that 1 1/16-mile grass race, he drew off to score by three lengths, receiving an excellent 84 Beyer Figure.

Pyramid Park subsequently finished second on dirt in the slowly run Coronation Futurity, another restricted stakes.

Trainer Mike Doyle said he entered and scratched Pyramid Park from the open Display Stakes on Nov. 26 in order to space his races out more.

"The Display was two weeks and two days [after the Coronation] and he had a tender shin, which he had been nursing through the year," Doyle said. "He ran hard in the Coronation, and with [the Kingarvie] here, I honestly thought it would be the best thing to give him more time."

Bad Hat won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special for Ontario-sired runners Nov. 2, getting a 73 Beyer. Three weeks later, he landed the seven-furlong Frost King Stakes, scoring by four lengths with a 74 Beyer.

Trainer Mike DePaulo said Bad Hat has all the tools, but never showed that he was anything special until he began to compete.

"He always worked easy," DePaulo said. "He would breeze nice and relaxed, in 1:03, and then gallop out good. He's a good size, and he's got a good mind. He's a nice kind of horse to have."

DePaulo is optimistic about Bad Hat's chances going a route.

"He's a very rateable horse, so it wouldn't surprise me if he got the mile and a sixteenth," DePaulo said. "I thought he won pretty easily going seven-eighths. His second dam is by Buckpasser, and he's out of a Far North mare."

DePaulo also entered Another Ascot, whom he claimed for $40,000 in August. Another Ascot was beaten by more than 40 lengths in the slop in his penultimate outing, but is coming off a two-turn maiden victory over Ontario-sired stock.

"We operated on his throat before his last race, and it changed his life," DePaulo said.