Las Vegas, NV – Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario will be the scene of the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes this Sunday, December 1. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be featured as they go seven furlongs on Woodbine’s All Weather Track for a purse of $150,000.
A large field of 12 has been confirmed for the Bessarabian Stakes – race 8 on Woodbine’s Sunday card. Post time is 4:26 PM. Let’s take a look into the past performances of all 12 combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.
Youcan’tcatchme – has 13 career starts – all on this track and has won four of her last five starts including her last two graded stakes tries – the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes last time out (she finished second in that race in 2012) and the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes August 31. She also had a wire-to-wire win as slight favorite in the minor Etobicoke Handicap August 4 after a nearly nine month layoff. Her only blemish this year was a respectable second in the minor Apelia Stakes October 2. Youcan’tcatchme is scorching hot and is the one to catch Sunday.
Purely Hot – Nick Caruso trained filly had a five race win streak to start her year – three straight Starter Allowance scores at Presque Isle Downs this summer included. She made her stakes debut and finished a very good second in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters September 9 and most recently was fourth in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland October 5. She has shown good form this year and will be looking to get back in the winner’s circle Sunday.
Acting Naughty – has seven starts this year for trainer Donald MacRae and has two wins including the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes on this track April 28 and the minor Sweet Briar Stakes July 6. She also had a disappointing fifth in the Grade 3 Hendrie this year and a third behind Youcan’tcatchme and Strike the Moon in the minor Etobicoke Handicap here August 4. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes here November 3 after a pair of fourths – the minor Apelia Stakes October 2 and in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes August 31.
Strike the Moon – has been involved in some big races in the past. In October 2012 she finished a very good second in the Grade 3 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland and went on to race the Breeders’ Cup Fill & Mare Sprint where she finished tenth. Since that time she has seven starts and has place in her last four. Last time out was a second in the minor Municipalities Mayors Handicap at Charles Town October 18 after a second in the Pink Ribbon Stakes on that same track in September and a third in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes August 31 on this track. She has 28 career starts with five wins, nine seconds and four third place.
Lemon Splash – enters the Bessarabian having finished fourth in three straight races – the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes last time out and a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming scores on this track. She has just two wins, four seconds and eleven third place finishes in 26 career starts and races just her second stakes starts Sunday.
Cabo Queen – makes her graded stakes debut Sunday having placed in her last four starts – all on this track. Last time out was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming October 17 after a second in the minor Ruling Angel Stakes October 26, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming October 5 and a third in the minor Inglorious Stakes September 2. Cabo Queen has two wins, a second and three third place finishes in 13 career starts and has looked OK in the lead-up to the Bessarabian.
Bessarabian Stakes betting at Woodbine Racetrack with OffTrackBetting.com
Dance to the Moon – finished tenth in this race in 2011 and has raced in graded stakes company one time since – a sixth in the 2012 Grade 3 Royal North Stakes here. She has eight starts this year with a win coming last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track November 17, two seconds and two thirds including in the minor Rainbow Connection Stakes at Fort Erie in July.
Queen`s Award -is coming off a nice win in the minor Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland October 11 after a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters September 9. Before that was a second in the Grade 3 Chicago Handicap at Arlington Park and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Keeneland in April. She has five wins, four seconds and five third place finishes in 27 career starts and has a little optimism behind her after a win last time out.
Mekong Delta – has 18 career starts – all at Woodbine and enters this weekend having won two of her last three starts – both Allowance races. Sandwiched in there is a sixth in her stakes debut – the Grade 2 Seaway Stakes August 31. Mekong Delta has three wins, four seconds and two third place finishes and despite a poor effort in her only stakes action looks OK ahead of the Bessarabian.
Part the Seas – has six starts this year with two wins and two third place finishes. Last time out was s third in the minor River Memories Stakes October 19 here after a win on this track in the minor Avowl Stakes September 1. Her last graded stakes race resulted in a sixth in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes here in May. Part the Seas has 15 career starts with four wins, two seconds and three third place finishes.
Runfor Ro – has five starts this year with zero wins, two seconds which have come in her last two starts – both Allowance Optional Claiming races here in October and a third place finish. She hasn’t raced in graded stakes company since August 2012 however – a third in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes on this track.
Dene Court – has eight career starts with three wins and three third place finishes but has failed to place in two of her last three starts – an eighth last time out in the minor Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland October 11 and a ninth three back in the minor Wonder Where Stakes here in July. Dene Court makes her graded stakes debut Sunday in less-than-spectacular form.
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