Woodbine: Essence Hit Man repeats in Bold Venture Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Essence Hit Man survived a claim of foul to win the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes for the second year in a row Wednesday night at Woodbine.

Essence Hit Man ($3.90) went right to the front under Jesse Campbell and set rapid splits of 22.21 seconds and 44.01 in the 6 1/2-furlong test. Dimension, a 28-1 outsider from Kentucky, stalked along the rail in third on the turn and then took dead aim at Essence Hit Man in the stretch.

Essence Hit Man drifted out late from left-handed whipping, but held on to prevail by a neck in a time of 1:15.46. Paso Doble finished another 4 1/4 lengths back in third, and Consolidator Joe was a distant fourth in the six-horse field.

David Moran, on Dimension, claimed foul on the winner for interference, which was disallowed by the stewards.

“He was comfortable,” Campbell said. “He was in his rhythm, so I just let him be. He’s just a good racehorse.”

Essence Hit Man, Canada’s champion sprinter in each of the past two years, earned $108,000 of the $168,000 purse for the A&G Racing Stable and trainer Larry Cappuccitti.