bison city stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Il Malocchio, coming off a third-place finish in the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, stalked the pace from fourth and rallied smartly through the lane to give trainer Marty Drexler the biggest win of his career in Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

In winning the 1 1/16-mile Bison City by half-length under Patrick Husbands, Il Malocchio dispatched of five fellow Canadian-bred fillies, including the highly fancied Miss Speedy, who faltered to finish fourth at odds of 2-5.

“She ran a big race today,” said Husbands, who was riding his leading eighth stakes winner of the meeting. “Last time she tricked me. By the quarter-pole, I thought I had the race won, but when I asked her she paused for about three strides and those three strides cost me the Oaks.

“Today, before we swung for home, I made sure I had her in gear.”

The Bison City unfolded as expected with Miss Speedy, unbeaten in two previous starts, went straight to the front from her inside post and led by 2 ½ lengths through a quarter in :23.57 and a half in :46.68.

And while she maintained a 2 ½ lengths lead through six furlongs in 1:11.13, her supremacy was about to be threatened as first Emmeline and then Il Malocchio loomed large.

Emmeline, who had nosed out Il Malocchio for second money in the 1 1/8 mile Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, had raced closest to Miss Speedy throughout and had led by a head over Il Malocchio with a furlong to run, only to succumb grudgingly as they stopped the clock in 1:43.42.

The second-place finish was the fourth straight for the hard-luck Emmeline, who remains a maiden after seven starts.

Cielo d'Oro closed for third money, three lengths behind the runner-up and three-quarters of a length before Miss Speedy.

Miss Marie and Youens rounded out the order of finish.

Owned and bred by Franco Meli, Il Malocchio placed in a pair of Woodbine stakes at age two and was sent south to trainer Kenny McPeek with a long-term eye toward the Woodbine Oaks. After finishing third in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Il Malocchio was up the track in the Fair Grounds Oaks but then finished a good second in a 1 1/8 mile allowance race at Keeneland with Kenny McPeek as her trainer of record.

Back home with Drexler at Woodbine, Il Malocchio opened up with a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong Fury before her solid effort in the Woodbine Oaks, where she was beaten 1 ¼ lengths.

“She's special,” said Drexler. “In my barn, we run a lot of cheaper, middle claimers. We don't have a lot of horses like this. It's nice to get one that you can play on this stage.”

Sent off as the 9-2 third choice, Il Malocchio returned $11.50 and topped a $33.60 with the 4.40-1 Emmeline. Cielo d'Oro, at 15-1, rounded out a $198.10 trifecta with Miss Speedy completing a $1 superfecta worth $207.75.

The Bison City followed the Woodbine Oaks as the second leg of Canada's triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. The $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at 1 ¼ miles on E.P. Taylor Turf Course, concludes the series on October 2.

“She gives it all; she's going to be getting close to being over the top”, said Drexler. “But, I have to think that's where we're going to aim.”

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Mizzen Beau, under Steve Bahen, was strong early and powerful late in taking Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes presented by Rethink Breast Cancer, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

The mile and one-sixteenth Bison City, second leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, was missing Curlin's Voyage, who won the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 15. The daughter of Curlin instead contested the 161st running of the Queen's Plate today, finishing fifth.

Trained by Norm Casse, Mizzen Beau arrived at the Bison City off a fourth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks. It was the second consecutive start at Woodbine for the Daniel Investment Holdings' grey, who finished fifth in the Fury Stakes on July 5.

The third time at the Toronto oval proved to be the charm.

Breaking sharply from the gate, Mizzen Beau was guided towards the rail by Bahen, as Infinite Patience and Truth Hurts settled in second and third, respectively, around the first turn and through an opening quarter-mile in :23.49. Mutuel favorite Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up to Curlin's Voyage in the Woodbine Oaks, sat fifth along the rail.

It was status quo for the top flight after a half-mile clip in :47.68, as Mizzen Beau maintained a comfortable one-length lead.

As the eight-horse field began the turn for home, Afleet Katherine and jockey Justin Stein looked for a seam to take aim at the leader, while Truth Hurts attempted an inside bid.

Any thoughts of corralling Mizzen Beau were quickly dashed, as Bahen and the Richard Lister-bred filly dashed away from their rivals with ease, widening their advantage down the lane.

At the wire, Mizzen Beau, who delivered Casse his first Canadian win, was 4 3/4-lengths ahead of Afleet Katherine. Truth Hurts was a head back in third, with Gun Society finishing fourth.

The final time over the Tapeta was 1:44.35.

“She broke real sharp, and she's kind of a small little filly,” said Bahen, who teamed with Silent Fleet to win the 1996 Bison City. “Norm [Casse] just said kind of let her be happy where she is like last time, and she was up there kind of tugging on me so I said, 'OK, this is where we're going to be' just hoping she'd settle down, and she did down the backside. Was perfect.”

Just as it was down the stretch.

“I didn't hear anybody behind me,” noted Bahen. “I kind of smooched to her to make her pick it up a little bit just on her own, and when we turned for home we went.”

The win was the third from nine starts for the daughter of Mizzen Mast, who debuted last July with a fourth-place finish at Ellis Park.

Mizzen Beau broke her maiden in her third career start, a sharp 2 3/4-length score over seven panels on the Keeneland dirt on October 11.

The third and final leg in the series is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at one mile and one-quarter on the turf, on October 25.

Mizzen Beau returned $19.10, $5.80 and $3.60, combining with Afleet Katherine ($2.80, $2.10) for a $42.90 (4-2) exactor. A 4-2-3 (Truth Hurts, $3.40 to show) triactor paid $143.60, while a $1 superfecta [4-2-3-8 (Gun Society)] was worth $413.40.

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