Woodbine notes: Bear No Joke affirms Baker’s confidence in him in Kennedy Road

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Saturday’s Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes featured an intriguing matchup between two-time Canadian champion sprinter Essence Hit Man and this year’s divisional leader, Phil’s Dream, but it was Bear No Joke who got the last laugh when he prevailed at 17-1 under Emma-Jane Wilson.

Bear No Joke wore down the speedy Essence Hit Man in the stretch to beat him by a half-length in 1:08.63, which was 0.47 seconds off Essence Hit Man’s six-furlong Polytrack record. Bear No Joke earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

Trainer Reade Baker said Bear No Joke had a rough trip in his previous race, the Grade 1 Nearctic on turf, which Phil’s Dream won convincingly.

“He bounced out of that race like he wasn’t even in it,” Baker said. “That’s why I liked him more [Saturday] than my others, but not enough to bet on him. He’s a sound, healthy horse who should have many years in front of him.”

Baker ran two others in the Kennedy Road, Go Blue Or Go Home, who was a prominent fourth, and the trailing Fatal Bullet. He said all three are probably done racing for the year.

Baker has a prospect for each of the last four stakes at the meet. The promising Asserting Bear will be favored in Saturday’s Kingarvie, and Baker has Jose Sea View for Sunday’s Display. Both have a shot at this year’s Sovereign Award as champion 2-year-old male.

Baker is also aiming Turkish for the Grade 3 Valedictory on closing day, Dec. 15, and said Rebellious Love is possible for the Dec. 14 Ontario Lassie.

Good weekend for Bear Stables

Bear Stables completed a sweep of the weekend stakes on Sunday, when Part the Seas won the Grade 2 Bessarabian from well off the pace under a fine ride by Jim McAleney, who had never been on her before.

Part the Seas has proven to be the claim of the year at Woodbine. The nicely bred Stormy Atlantic filly was haltered in August for $62,500 from Sam-Son Farm by trainer Mike DePaulo, who then sent her out to capture the Avowal, an overnight stakes on the grass.

Trainer Mike DePaulo said he was surprised Part the Seas came from so far back in the Bessarabian.

“I thought she’d be sharper than that,” he said. “I would have been delighted just to run third. Jimmy did a great job.”

DePaulo said Part the Seas had trained encouragingly leading up to the Bessarabian, and he chalked up her success to a team effort.

“Melissa Williams has done a great job rubbing her,” DePaulo said. “Charlton Riley has done a good job galloping her. She has one clubby foot, and my blacksmith Bill Anthoulakis straightened that out pretty good. That was the only chink in her armor when we got her.”

DePaulo, who won two races on Sunday’s card, was unsure of the immediate plans for Part the Seas, who figures to join owner Danny Dion’s broodmare band in the future.

San Nicola Thunder in Sir Barton

Trainer John Cardella will saddle the fast-improving San Nicola Thunder in Wednesday night’s $125,000 Sir Barton. The 3-year-old is seeking his second stakes tally in the 1 1/16-mile Ontario-sired event.

San Nicola Thunder failed to clear the Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-three allowance condition prior to the Sept. 1 Vice Regent Stakes, in which he pulled a 23-1 upset in his second turf try. Cardella said he wasn’t shocked by that wake-up because of the gelding’s fourth-place finish in the June 8 Bold Ruckus Stakes.

“He showed that he likes the grass when he only got beat [3 1/4] lengths in the Bold Ruckus,” Cardella said.

San Nicola Thunder was 20-1 against older Ontario-sired opposition in the Oct. 20 Bunty Lawless Stakes. He outran those odds, however, by finishing third behind favorites Ultimate Destiny and Pender Harbour, whom he will face again on Wednesday.

“He was in second-last early and raced wide the whole way,” Cardella said. “He was still seven or eight horses wide at the head of the lane. He lost a lot of ground, but didn’t get beat all that far. He got an 85 Beyer.”

Cardella said San Nicola Thunder has trained forwardly leading up to the Sir Barton.

“He’s had two good five-eighths workouts,” Cardella pointed out.