Spin the King tries turf in Bold Ruckus

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Spin the King is among a host of Ontario-sired 3-year-olds who will experiment on grass Saturday in the $125,000 Bold Ruckus Stakes, and he could be the boss in the wide-open, six-furlong dash.

Spin the King has made all seven of his starts over Woodbine’s Polytrack. He graduated second time out at 2 in the restricted Clarendon Stakes, which was his lone win, and was a prominent third in his May 17 season opener in a six-furlong allowance.

Trainer Brian Lynch said Spin the King has excelled in recent works over the local turf training course.

“I’m looking forward to trying him on the grass,” Lynch said. “I’ve been working him against a horse I’ve got a pretty strong opinion of, and he’s worked quite well with that horse.”

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There are two other stakes winners in the nine-horse field who are trying turf for the first time, Flashy Margaritta and Spadina Road. The stretch runner Spadina Road left the speedy Flashy Margaritta back in fourth when he won his first race of the season in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance May 23.

Eighty Nine Red notched his seasonal debut in a five-furlong allowance before ending up third in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes. Trainer Mike De Paulo said he was pleased with the son of Bold Executive’s five-furlong turf work June 1, in 59.20 seconds, which was one-fifth of a second faster than what Spin the King recorded on the same day.

“He looked to have a nice, long stride on the turf,” De Paulo said. “He seemed very comfortable on it. A lot of the Bold Executives ‘turf.’ ”

Rounding out the Bold Ruckus lineup are Sacred Space, Red Fever, Marten Lake, Grom, and Too Many Egbert’s.