Woodbine: Der Bee Buz at home on the turf

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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Der Bee Buz won her maiden on the Polytrack, but going by her current form, she is now a turf specialist. She’s set to travel nine furlongs on the grass in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, a $52,500 allowance for Ontario-sired nonwinners of two.

Der Bee Buz rallied five wide to land her debut in a restricted Polytrack sprint Nov. 16. Three weeks later, she closed her brief 2-year-old campaign with a distant fourth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Lassie Stakes.

Der Bee Buz was a nonthreatening sixth in each of her first two excursions this spring. Trainer Nick Gonzalez tried her on the turf June 12, and she rallied along the rail from midpack to finish a close second in the one-mile allowance that contained future allowance winners Best Gift of All and Teresa’s Pride.

A hot Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was a meet-leading 12 for 54 in turf races heading into this week, will ride Der Bee Buz.

Silent Love was an authoritative winner second time out in a one-mile maiden special on the turf June 7. She struggled three weeks later in an allowance on the Polytrack, after which she scoped with mucus, according to trainer Bob Tiller.

Silent Love seemingly found seven furlongs too short for her most recently in the restricted Passing Mood Stakes, in which she split the field as the sixth-place finisher.

Luis Contreras picks up the mount on Silent Love, a daughter of the popular sire Silent Name, who was a Grade 2 stakes winner on turf and synthetics.

Kiche’s Spirit performed well on the grass last year, before missing the second half of 2012. She checked in seventh behind Der Bee Buz when she returned from a one-year layoff June 12.

July 7 was not a good day for Kiche’s Spirit nor her full sister, Woodbine Oaks winner Nipissing, who came up empty in the Queen’s Plate. Kiche’s Spirit was a vet scratch that day, but she appears to be back on track after working five-eighths twice in the past two weeks.

Steve Bahen will ride Kiche’s Spirit for trainer Rachel Halden.

Queenstown rallied for third when she experimented on the grass June 12 and was along for second last time in an allowance on the Polytrack.

Empressina also contested that same June 12 allowance. She did okay to finish fifth, in her first outing since her slow maiden victory on the Polytrack on Nov. 25.

Zdenka was a fast-finishing second behind a peaking Hobnobsnob in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on the grass June 26.