By Jason Shandler
The Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) and E.P. Taylor (Can-IT) are the headliners of Woodbine’s Oct. 17 card, but not to be forgotten is the $500,000 Nearctic (Can-IIT), a six-furlong turf sprint that offers the winner a chance at the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint next month at Santa Anita.
A full field of 11 has been entered in the Nearctic and on paper the race is wide open. Prominent players in the contest are Heros Reward, the 2007 Nearctic winner and fourth but beaten only a length in last year’s event; Jungle Wave, who won the Play the King (Can-II) over the same turf course in August and was fourth last out in the Woodbine Mile (Can-IT); and Storm Treasure, a 6-year-old trying to get back to the BC Turf Sprint where he finished third by only 1 1/2 lengths in 2008.
Also in the mix are the one-two finishers of the Sept. 7 Turf Monster Handicap at Philadelphia Park, Chamberlain Bridge and Little Nick, respectively, and Play the King runner-up Field Commission.
Post time for the Nearctic is scheduled for 4:23 p.m. EDT.
Rob Ry Farm and Jayne Marie Slysz’s Heros Reward has won two of six starts this season for trainer Dale Capuano, his biggest score coming in the April 11 Shakertown (gr. IIIT) on the Keeneland grass. The 7-year-old Partner’s Hero gelding was also runner-up in Belmont's Jaipur (gr. IIIT) in July and last out was third in the Sept. 26 Maryland Million Sprint Handicap at Laurel Park.
A millionaire from 34 lifetime starts, Heros Reward will break from post 9 with Javier Castellano leading the way.
Jungle Wave, a 4-year-old gelded son of Hold That Tiger, was claimed for $62,500 in May by Sid Attard for Tucci Stables. He has won four of six starts since then, including the Aug. 29 Play the King by three-quarters of a length. In the Woodbine Mile, Jungle Wave took a short advantage into the stretch before giving way. Todd Kabel wil be part of the 121-pound high weight and they will have to break from post 11.
Steve Asmussen trainee Storm Treasure is winless in five starts this season, including a third-place finish last out in Woodbine King Corie Stakes on Sept. 30. The son of Storm Boot was fifth in last year’s Nearctic.
$500,000 Nearctic (Can-IIT, Race 8, 4:23 p.m.), 3 & Up, 6 Furlongs (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Field Commission (ON), J R Leparoux, 119, D J Vella
2. Silver Z (CA), R C Landry, 114, N Wallis
3. Grand Adventure (KY), P Husbands, 115, M R Frostad
4. Karakorum Elektra (NY), E Ramsammy, 114, L Rice
5. Legal Move (ON), C Sutherland, 117, M Fournier
6. Little Nick (FL), R Bejarano, 117, A Iwinski
7. Chamberlain Bridge (KY), G K Gomez, 119, W B Calhoun
8. Bogue Chitto (FL), G Olguin, 117, I Howard
9. Heros Reward (MD), J Castellano, 119, D Capuano
10. Storm Treasure (KY), L Contreras, 117, S M Asmussen
11. Jungle Wave (KY), T Kabel, 121, S C Attard
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