Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman's Calgary Cat, a former claimer, exited allowance company in a big way with a strong victory in the $144,692 Bold Venture Stakes (Can-III) on Polytrack at Woodbine Sept. 13 (VIDEO).
Ridden by Eurico Rosa Da Silva for trainer Kevin Attard, Calgary Cat was well off a fast pace early and then rallied strongly between horses to pull away late for a three-length victory. Bear Stables' Bear No Joke, who led for most of the way, held well for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 7-2 favorite Black Hornet in third.
Bear No Joke, under pressure throughout the 6 1/2-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds and up, set fractions of :22.29 for the opening quarter-mile, :44.47 for a half-mile, and 1:08.56 for six furlongs before he was passed by the winner. Calgary Cat finished in 1:14.91, not far off the 1:14.50 record for the distance set last year by Consolidator Joe.
Calgary Cat paid $14.50, $7.20, and $5 across the board. Bear No Joke returned $7.50 and $5.30, while Black Hornet paid $3.70. The $2 exacta paid $104.70 and the $2 trifecta $501.50.
Calgary Cat, a 4-year-old gelding by Cowtown Cat out of the A.P. Indy mare Big Sink Star, was bred in Ontario by WinStar Farm. He was claimed by his current owners for $25,000 at Woodbine last November, and now has six wins in 13 starts for earnings of $288,585.
Alpha Bettor finished fourth, followed by Sensational Slam, Occasional View, Kitten Candy, Really Sharp, Triple Cross, Mongolian Saturday, and Dan the Tin Man.
