'Ring' rates edge due to pedigree

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Seeking the Ring and Brattothecore dead-heated for the win in the Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, but the result could be much different Monday at Woodbine, when they both try the turf for the first time in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara.

The Wonder Where is joined on Monday's holiday program by the $131,125 Victoriana Stakes, a turf race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

Seeking the Ring, a regally bred Sam-Son Farm runner trained by Mark Frostad, has a pedigree full of grass influences, while Brattothecore possesses blue-collar breeding, which is better suited to the main track.

Seeking the Ring is a full sister to 2000 Canadian Oaks winner Catch the Ring, who also won the Bison City, the second leg of the Triple Tiara.

Seeking the Ring was beaten a neck by favored Too Late Now in this year's Oaks. She dueled through slow fractions in the July 1 Bison City, and looked like a winner in deep stretch, before Brattothecore rallied along the rail to gain the tie.

Todd Kabel, who rode Seeking the Ring in the Oaks, is content with her two recent works over the turf training course.

"She worked a lot more aggressively in her second turf work than in her first one," Kabel recalled. "She's a horse who's not so quick at learning, and she paid more attention in the second work."

Kabel believes the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Wonder Where is well within Seeking the Ring's range.

"She's a very nice filly," Kabel said, "and I think she won't have any problem. I'm just hoping that she moves up on the turf as much as I expect her to."

Brattothecore has won 4 of 6 for trainer John Ross, who was pleased with the way she drilled five-eighths on the grass July 20.

"She worked in 1:00.80, and galloped out [three-quarters] in 1:15," Ross said. "Her mechanics looked fine, so I was happy with it."

Commander's Lady, based at Saratoga with trainer Phil Serpe, won a grass allowance at Belmont on May 8. She was recently fifth in the Little Silver Stakes at Monmouth, in which a slow pace probably hindered her chances.