Woodbine: Biamonte expecting better from Roses and Shine in Fury

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Ralph Biamonte, who won nine stakes with his 2-year-olds here last year, will be looking to get back into the swing of things when he sends out Roses and Shine for Sunday’s $150,000 Fury Stakes.

Roses and Shine wintered at Crupi’s New Castle Farm in the Ocala, Fla., area along with stablemates Menlo Castle, Run in Aruba, and Jenna’s Wabbit, all of whom contributed to the Biamonte juvenile stakes fund.

Owned by Jim Sabiston, Roses and Shine won the seven-furlong Muskoka and the 1 1/16 mile Princess Elizabeth last year, but finished last of six when making her 2012 bow in the Star Shoot. The Star Shoot was an open stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs, while the Fury is a seven-furlong race for Ontario-breds of the same age and sex.

“I thought she’d run a little better,” said Biamonte, who is hoping to get Roses and Shine to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 3. “She was horsing pretty bad on me, but she’d better show me a good improvement.”

Menlo Castle, who won the seven-furlong Simcoe and finished second in both the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity and 1 1/16-mile Display here last year, is slated to make his second start of the season in next Saturday’s $150,000 Queenston.

The seven-furlong Queenston, for Ontario-foaled 3-year-olds, is the next local stakes stepping-stone on the road to the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 24.

Menlo Castle, owned by Conor Healy, opened up his sophomore campaign with a third-place finish in the six-furlong Woodstock, an open stakes for 3-year-olds in which he was beaten by two American-breds.

“I was really pleased,” said Biamonte. “He got overwhelmed by the winner but it was a good race for us, and he came out of it good.”

Run in Aruba, who captured the restricted Kingarvie at 1 1/16 miles here last November, finished last of nine in the Woodstock while never in contention.

“We tried something a little different, by taking him back, and he didn’t like it,” said Biamonte. “Maybe the horse has to stay in Ontario-sired. He does have to go long – the longer, the better.”

Jenna’s Wabbit, also Ontario-sired, won the six-furlong Bull Page and seven-furlong Frost King and is scheduled to return to Woodbine this week.