Tharrenos looks strong in Frost King, South Ocean

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bill Tharrenos has a contender for both $100,000 Ontario-sired stakes for 2-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine – My Boy Bruce in the Frost King and I Love to Win in the South Ocean, which is for fillies. Both races are 6 1/2 furlongs.

Based at Gulfstream Park during the winter and at Woodbine the remainder of the year, Tharrenos has won at a good 24 percent clip this year, scoring with 40 of 169 starters heading into this week.

My Boy Bruce has started twice against Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens. On Aug. 18, he was forward early and then opened up a substantial lead in the stretch before getting caught late when second over six furlongs. Three weeks later, he came from third to prevail at a short price going 5 1/2 furlongs under apprentice Pietro Moran.

“I think it was foolish the way he opened up” on debut,” Tharrenos recalled. “He got lost out there by himself and got beat on the wire. Pietro gave him an absolute perfect ride. He got him off the pace. He sat there and just followed the speed.”

Sahin Civaci has inherited the mount from the sidelined Moran and jokingly compared him to reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old My Boy Prince, according to Tharrenos.

“He’s been on him and he loves him,” Tharrenos said. “He said he feels like My Boy Prince, and I said, ‘I don’t think so.’ ”

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A $20,000 buyback at the 2023 Canadian Premier yearling sale, My Boy Bruce is a half-brother to stakes-winning sprinter Owen’s Tour Guide.

I Love to Win was a $20,000 purchase at the same sale. The daughter of Signature Red came from fifth to land her July 27 opener against Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens. She subsequently finished sixth in the $201,000 Muskoka Stakes and fourth in another restricted stakes, the Victorian Queen on the main turf.

With Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard, I Love to Win rallied from third to land a six-furlong Ontario-sired allowance on Oct. 3, for which she got a 66 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in the South Ocean field.

“She’s gotten better as time goes on,” Tharrenos said. “By extending her training program a little more, I think she’ll have a better finish. I don’t think she handled the turf like I thought she was going to. I think now we’re going forward and leading up to a good race.”

The South Ocean lured just four others.

The Frost King is a more competitive nine-horse affair that also includes Dark Screen and the supplements Shadow Realm, Unbridled Weather, and Magic Power.

Dark Screen was a professional first-out winner going 5 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 29 while getting a 67 Beyer. The Big Screen gelding breezed five-eighths in a quick 59.80 seconds last Sunday.

Shadow Realm was stakes-placed twice before earning his diploma traveling seven furlongs with a 67 Beyer on Oct. 6.

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