Relocated Pierce barn ready for action

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Malcolm Pierce was familiarizing himself with his temporary digs here Tuesday morning, having been forced to vacate his regular barn this month in order to accommodate the anticipated influx of European horses for Canadian International Day, Oct. 23.

Pierce normally shares a barn with trainer Josie Carroll, who took a turn at yielding her barn space to the European shippers last fall.

"It's not bad here; you have a whole barn to yourself," said Pierce, who was setting up shop with 31 horses in the former quarantine barn that is now used primarily for Fort Erie shippers.

Pierce had until Wednesday to relocate but made the move on Monday.

"We've got a little action coming up," said Pierce. "I didn't want to wait to move these horses; they get shook up. This will give them a chance to settle in."

Badge of Truth might become the first stakes starter for Pierce at the new location.

Runner-up in the Summer, a Grade 2 race at a mile that was run over soft turf here Sept. 18, Badge of Truth is a candidate for Monday's Grade 3 Grey over 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The $250,000 Grey is one of two stakes scheduled on the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday program on Monday; the other is the $125,000 Classy 'n Smart, a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

Badge of Truth made his first three starts on dirt, winning his maiden impressively at seven furlongs on the last of those starts.

On Sunday, Badge of Truth breezed five furlongs on the main track in 1:02.40.

"I like the way he's working," said Pierce.

Meanwhile, the Pierce-trained Seeking Shelter is scheduled to make his next appearance in the $250,000 Cup and Saucer, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds here Oct. 16.

"He's been aiming for the Cup and Saucer since the Simcoe," said Pierce, who sent out Seeking Shelter to a second-place finish in the Simcoe on Sept. 4.

Seeking Shelter was successful making his turf debut in his second career outing, winning at 6 1/2 furlongs at odds of 24-1.

Cryptograph and Menifeeque work fast

Cryptogragh, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old colt who joined Pierce here in August, worked five furlongs in 59.80 on the main track here Saturday. That drill was in company with Menifeeque, and the stablemates recorded the fastest of 54 moves at the distance.

Cryptograph closed strongly to finish second in his local debut, in a classified allowance over 1 1/16 miles here Aug. 26. "He's on target for the Durham Cup," said Pierce.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Durham Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up here Oct. 15, attracted only 11 nominees, but may still have a strong lineup, led by Niigon and One for Rose.

Menifeeque, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old filly, also has had only one start here, finishing last of six in a third-level allowance race at seven furlongs on the main track here Aug. 11.

"She's really a two-turn horse," said Pierce. "I'm having trouble getting her in at a mile and a sixteenth."

Menifeeque ran second in two stakes last year, the 1 1/16-mile Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs and the one-mile Revidere at Monmouth.

Elle Runaway eyes Keeneland's Valley View

Pierce is looking toward Keeneland's Oct. 21 Valley View for Elle Runaway, the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old filly he trains for Live Oak Plantation. The Valley View, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, is a Grade 3 with a $125,000 purse.

Elle Runaway put together back-to-back victories in the Ontario Colleen prep and the Ontario Colleen, both over a mile on the turf, but finished fifth as the favorite when moving to the main track for the La Lorgnette.

"She had three races pretty close together," said Pierce. "We're freshening her a bit. We have time to catch that race with her, and then put her away for the season."

Derby arrives from Monmouth for Grey

Derby, trained by Joe Orseno, checked in from Monmouth on Monday for the Grey, accompanied by groom Gerardo Ortiz.

A Kentucky-bred colt by Touch Gold, Derby was purchased for $350,000 at the Ocala 2-year-olds in training sale this March.

After finishing fifth in his debut over 5 1/2 furlongs at Monmouth on Aug. 21, Derby stretched out to a mile and 70 yards on Sept. 10 and won, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 69.

Joe Bravo, who rode Derby for the first time that day, has the call for the Grey. Bravo's last visit here was in the spring of 2004, when he won the Whimsical with Holy Bubbette.

Macho Uno, who won the 2000 Grey for Orseno and Stronach Stable, came back to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.