Reigning turf champ Johnny Bear has tough task in 2018 debut

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Johnny Bear, last year’s Canadian champion male grass runner, is among an accomplished nine-horse field in Friday’s allowance prep for the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes on June 23 at Woodbine.

Johnny Bear, now 7, topped the local yearling sale at $275,000 in 2012, but he never really blossomed until last year. He notched his first stakes win last August in the Halton, for graduates of local yearling sales, and then upset the heavily favored European Hawkbill in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf at 1 1/2 miles.

Johnny Bear came up empty over soft ground in the Grade 1 Canadian International in October and has been idle since a flat effort in a 1 5/8-mile allowance on the Tapeta on Nov. 10.

David Moran will ride Johnny Bear for Ashlee Brnjas, who trains him for Colebrook Farm and Bear Stable.

The 1 1/4-mile feature, race 6, is scheduled to be run in lane 1 for a base purse of $74,500.

KEY CONTENDERS

Johnny Bear, by English Channel

Last 3 Beyers: 80-55-97

DRF Formulator fact: Over the past five years, Brnjas has won at a 10 percent clip with six-month-plus comebackers, with a return on investment of $1.10. She is 1 for 15 with such runners on turf during that time.

Danish Dynaformer, by Dynaformer

Last 3 Beyers: 97-78-91

◗ The classy 6-year-old is winless in 10 starts since capturing the 2016 Singspiel. He has kept some tough company, however, and was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths most recently when fifth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland.

◗ Like Johnny Bear, his preferred trip is 1 1/2 miles, the distance over which he won the 2015 Breeders Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Scholar Athlete, by Einstein

Last 3 Beyers: 94-93-81

◗ A refugee from the 2016 Canadian Triple Crown, the Maryland shipper has won three of his last four outings, including a third-level optional claimer at Belmont, in which he upset Grade 1 winner Wake Forest over 1 1/8 miles.

King and His Court, by Court Vision

Last 3 Beyers: 84-87-88

◗ The 2016 Canadian champion male 2-year-old, he finished a close third in last year’s Breeders and has a tightener on the Tapeta heading into his second race of the season.

Noble Thought, by Harlan’s Holiday

Last 3 Beyers: 82-91-87

◗ He wintered at Tampa with hot trainer Malcolm Pierce, who sent him out to win a third-level optional claimer there in March.

Small Bear, by Macho Uno

Last 3 Beyers: 92-83-91

◗ The stakes-winning miler from New York is charting unknown territory over an extended distance here in his second start following a winter break.