Woodbine: Asserting Bear kicks clear in Coronation Futurity

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Asserting Bear and Man o’ Bear, two Bear Stable runners trained by Reade Baker, ran first and third in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine on Sunday.

Asserting Bear stalked in second on the outside under Jim McAleney as Heart to Heart set honest fractions in the 1 1/8-mile route for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds.

After being ridden hard on the far turn, Asserting Bear kicked in strongly through the stretch to prevail by a length over the improving maiden Majestic Sunset. Man o’ Bear rallied outside from fifth to finish another half-length back, while 3-5 favorite Ami’s Holiday wound up fifth after finding traffic late on the far turn.

The rider of the trailing Matador claimed foul for interference on the far turn, and Ami’s Holiday was demoted to seventh by disqualification.

Asserting Bear covered the distance in 1:50.96. He earned $150,000 for his first stakes triumph and returned $19.90 to win.

“He was right on his game,” McAleney said. “He worked really well coming into this race. He’s made leaps and bounds of improvement from the first time I rode him until now, and that’s the handling of the horse.”