Woodbine notes: Bessarabian invaders worth a look

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The three shippers in Sunday’s $150,000 Bessarabian Stakes – Purely Hot, Queen’s Award, and Strike the Moon – all look like contenders in the seven-furlong sprint, which drew a mixed bag of 12 fillies and mares.

Purely Hot was supplemented for $3,000 by trainer Tevis McCauley, who bought her for $225,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November sale in Kentucky. She began 2013 as a low-level claimer and then rose through the ranks to become a stakes winner at Presque Isle Downs, where she ran second to champion Groupie Doll in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters in September.

“She’ll have to answer the question of how she’ll handle the seven-eighths, but I think she ran the race of her life going six and a half at Presque Isle, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” McCauley said.

Laurel-based Strike the Moon ran twice here in August, finishing second in the Etobicoke Stakes and third in the Grade 3 Seaway.

Kentucky invader Queen’s Award wound up sixth in the $400,200 Presque Isle Masters, before notching her first stakes win at 30-1 in the Franklin County on the grass at Keeneland.

Quest for black type

Mekong Delta will be a longshot in Grade 2 Bessarabian, but she won’t have to win to satisfy the desires of owner Ted Burnett and trainer Mike Mattine.

“We’re trying to get some black type,” Mattine explained. “That’s our main goal, to get her stakes-placed, because her value would go up as a broodmare.”

Mekong Delta, a nicely bred daughter of Stormy Atlantic, won a pair of allowances in her last three outings. Those wins were sandwiched around a sixth in the Aug. 31 Seaway.

“She had the 1 post, but she still ran a good race in the Seaway,” Mattine said. “She was beaten 4 3/4 lengths. She’s better now than she was back then. Every start, she improves. I think she’s at her best going seven furlongs.”

Mekong Delta’s groom, Mark Manuk, predicted a peak performance could be in the cards.

“She’s in great form right now,” he said.

Last Sunday, Mattine sent out the fast-working 2-year-old colt Mangusta to earn his diploma at first asking in a six-furlong maiden special.

“All along, he showed that he was talented,” Mattine said. “We just took our time with him and decided to run him in that sprint. His future is going two turns because of the way he trains and his breeding. There are no immediate plans for him.”

Mangusta, also owned by Burnett, is by the Grade 1-winning sprinter Street Boss, and out of the stakes-placed router Ethan’s Car.

Goldstryke Glory taking break

Goldstryke Glory, who has been among the leading Canadian female sprinters this year, was never under consideration for the Bessarabian because of the distance, according to trainer to Florida.

“After her last work before [the Fashion], she began to get quieter and quieter,” Callaghan said. “When we pulled a blood, it wasn’t too bad, so we played it by ear. When we pulled another blood on race day, there was a major difference. She was obviously showing the signs of a virus, so we couldn’t take that chance. We’re giving her some time off in Ocala until mid-January.”

Callaghan said she’s hoping to try Goldstryke Glory, a 3-year-old filly owned by Barry Holmes, around a tighter bend in a shorter sprint, because of her rapid acceleration through the turn.

“Can you imagine her on an inner turf course?” Callaghan said. “I think she’d do some serious damage. I’ll look at Keeneland and see what they have for her on the way back up in the spring.”

Callaghan has sold several young horses who went on to win stakes, most notably the Northern California stalwart Positive Response. She recently sold the 2-year-old filly Avicii to owner Charles Cella and trainer Lynn Whiting, who won a maiden race with her Nov. 17 at Churchill. Avicii finished second for Callaghan here Sept. 27 in a quick maiden special won by Zensational Bunny, who subsequently won the Glorious Song Stakes.

“Generally, what we try to do is run and sell,” Callaghan said.