Sweet Grass Creek revives career as gelding
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sweet Grass Creek has rounded back into form since being gelded Sept. 1 and comes back quickly for Sunday’s $125,000 Bunty Lawless Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up over one mile on turf at Woodbine.
Sweet Grass Creek has won his last two starts since being gelded, including a one-length win against open allowance competition going seven furlongs on turf in his most recent start Sept. 27. Prior to that, Sweet Grass Creek romped by 4 3/4 lengths in a first-level Ontario-sired allowance that was moved from turf to Polytrack.
“We gelded him, and he’s won two races in a row since we’ve done that, so that’s helped for sure,” trainer Michael Keogh said.
Sweet Grass Creek has been entered to run on turf in each of his three starts since he set an unsustainable early pace in the Queen’s Plate on July 5.
“We thought we’d give him a shot on the turf,” Keogh said. “He’s bred for it. This is the last Ontario-sired stakes on the turf. My concern is coming back in two weeks.”
Bunty Lawless, Race 6
Key Contenders
Sweet Grass Creek (Last 3 Beyers: 82-82-77)
◗ After spending the early portion of his 3-year-old campaign prepping for the Queen’s Plate, Sweet Grass Creek has been shortened up in his three subsequent starts.
“We had really high hopes for him,” Keogh said. “We thought he was a Plate horse and all, and it’s nice that we’ve been vindicated on what we thought of him earlier in the year. It was just a case of shortening him up because he had got so rank in the Plate.”
Born in a Breeze (Last 3 Beyers: 86-78-77)
◗ He recorded his first stakes win with a strong off-the-pace rally in the Vice Regent Stakes last time out and has won his last two starts over a mile on turf, one of which came against older Ontario-sired opposition.
Ultimate Destiny (Last 3 Beyers: 87-85-87)
◗ He had not run on turf in three years prior to the Halton Stakes on Sept. 2, when he ran third behind Hampstead Heath and recorded an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Hampstead Heath and fifth-place finisher O Wanderlust have both come back to win open allowance races on grass.
Kingsport (Last 3 Beyers: 80-85-91)
◗ He was passed by Born in a Breeze in the final strides of the Vice Regent Stakes and faded late in his most recent start in the Overskate Stakes on Sept. 19 after getting involved in a quick early pace. He should enjoy the switch back to turf.