Ring My Surprise now battle-hardened

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ring My Surprise is the most logical candidate to stay the 1 1/16 miles in Saturday's $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes, for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

Ring My Surprise graduated second time out in a seven-furlong sprint for $20,000 maidens in August. Trainer Greg De Gannes ran him back in an open 1 1/16-mile allowance Sept. 18, and watched as the gelding prevailed with relative ease as a 41-1 outsider.

Most recently, going 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes, Ring My Surprise set moderate early fractions before fading to last in the seven-horse field. De Gannes felt that lackluster performance wasn't a true representation of Ring My Surprise's ability.

"He got out there on the lead, and had never really had anyone come to him and challenge him before," De Gannes said. "I think he'll benefit from the experience. He had a bit of a rest after that, and has certainly been training well."

De Gannes raved about Ring My Surprise's five-furlong breeze last Saturday in 1:01.20, which was the seventh-fastest of 49 works at the distance.

"It was as good a work as you could want," said De Gannes. "We put another horse in front of him, and let him run at that horse. He finished very strong."

Bold Canadian is running around two turns for the first time off a runner-up placing over seven furlongs in the slow-paced Frost King Stakes.

Bold Canadian romped in his debut in a five-furlong maiden special for Ontario-sired stock in July, but he failed to finish higher than fifth in four subsequent outings, all in restricted stakes. He earned a Beyer Figure of 71 in the Frost King, which is the best Beyer in the Kingarvie field.

"I think if he relaxes early, he'll be all right going long," said Hank Gensler, trainer Steve Asmussen's Woodbine assistant. "Most of his bad races were when he got a little fresh on the lead, and then burned himself up. When he sits and relaxes, like he did the day he won and in his last race, he saves himself and has a nice cruising speed."

Abogado won a slow 1 1/16-mile maiden special in October, but he was ineffective in a recent open allowance.

Three horses were supplemented to the Kingarvie at a cost of $2,500 - Victory Launch, Joey's Best, and Widmo.