Two tangle again in Bull Page

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lucky Larue and Magic Jack, second and third in the Clarendon Stakes, will meet again at Woodbine Sunday in the $132,875 Bull Page Stakes, a six-furlong dash for 2-year-olds.

Lucky Larue is one of just two winners in the eight-horse field of Ontario-sired colts. A pigeon-toed son of Barbeau, Lucky Larue finished fifth when he debuted in a key race, and then graduated with ease in another 4 1/2-furlong maiden special on June 2.

Lucky Larue drew the undesirable inside post in the 5 1/2-furlong Clarendon, and proceeded to stalk the pace along the inside. He failed to mow down first-time starter Frankiefourfingers in the drive, and ended up two lengths in arrears.

Owner/trainer Wray Lawrence was happy with Lucky Larue's Clarendon effort.

"I don't think the one hole really helped him or hurt him," said Lawrence. "Frankiefourfingers is a nice horse. I don't think he was going to go by him. The time wasn't bad, 1:05.20."

Lawrence said he hasn't trained Lucky Larue too hard since the June 23 Clarendon, mainly because the horse once had a sore shin.

"I've given him a light routine," Lawrence said. "I've given him a couple of easy half-mile works, and everything looks good. He worked behind a couple of horses the other day, and instead of going around them, he sat in behind them and got lots of dirt in his face. It was a good experience for him."

Magic Jack ran greenly in his June 2 debut, in which he was disqualified from fourth and placed seventh for interference. He raced three wide in a stalking position in the Clarendon, and finished just three-quarters of a length behind Lucky Larue.

Trainer John Ross was ecstatic with Magic Jack's July 14 workout, a five-furlong breeze in a bullet 1:00.20 over the training track in company with Clairlyn, an older maiden.

"That was a good signal," Ross said. "He stayed right with Clairlyn. I wanted to get a useful work into him. When you're going into a stakes race, you should work like a stakes horse."

From the rail out, the Bull Page field: Magic Jack with Steven Bahen up; Rum Talk, Emile Ramsammy; Pop Star, Robert Landry; Biddy's Lad, apprentice Chantal Sutherland; Rob the Streaker, Shane Ellis; Lucky Larue, Todd Kabel; Tracy's Tonka Toy, Jono Jones; and Godin, Gerry Olguin.

* Stakes winners Olympian and Steady Ruckus are among the five Canadian-bred runners in Sunday's supporting feature, the $105,000 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, a seven-furlong turf dash.

for entries.

Subscribers: to purchase Past Performances.

Non-subscribers: Click here to purchase Past Performances.