Woodbine: Bear Tough Tiger in for tag in Friday feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stakes winner Bear Tough Tiger has only run for a claiming price twice, and he won both times. The big 5-year-old will compete with a $62,500 tag Friday at Woodbine in the ninth of 11 races, a 6 1/2-furlong optional claiming race.

Bear Tough Tiger earned his 15 minutes of fame when he captured the Grade 3 Kennedy Road Stakes with a 98 Beyer Speed Figure last November. His lone triumph in five starts this year came on grass on Aug. 11, when he rallied to capture a six-furlong optional claimer over a modest field.

Bear Tough Tiger last out was a fading fifth in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes behind the unstoppable Phil’s Dream, who came back to take the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes last Saturday.

Emma-Jayne Wilson retains the mount on Bear Tough Tiger for trainer Reade Baker, a combination that is 20 for 96 at the meet.

The Sid Attard-trained coupling of Buongiorno Johnny and Danger Bay will garner support, unless the former is scratched. Leading rider Luis Contreras was named on both Norseman Racing Stable runners.

The speedy Buongiorno Johnny is coming off two consecutive strong showings in races that were about six weeks apart. He wired $50,000 claimers on grass on Aug. 31 and then led until the final strides when second in an optional claiming event that was moved to the Polytrack on Oct. 18. He was scratched from the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, which was the toughest sprint stakes of the meet on paper.

Danger Bay is winless in six outings at the meet and has tailed off since the summer.

Burnum beat Danger Bay by a half-length when he found the mark in a July 6 optional claimer that was yanked off the grass. He has failed to hit the board since, but was along for fourth behind Buongiorno Johnny following a layoff on Oct. 18. Hot trainer Sam DiPasquale is adding blinkers to the four-year-old’s equipment.

Jade Dragon and Kitten Candy are coupled as a Bob Tiller-trained entry. They are the only 3-year-olds in the lineup.

Jade Dragon has run hot and cold since he defeated Ontario-sired 3-year-olds on July 24 in the seven-furlong Deputy Minister Stakes.

Kitten Candy finally cleared the first allowance race condition going seven-eighths on Sept. 27 when he beat favored Lennon.

Tell All You Know ships in off a narrow loss in a second-level allowance race over Keeneland’s Polytrack.