TORONTO, May 20 – Bear Now captured Woodbine’s Grade 3, $250,000 Selene Stakes with a track record performance on Sunday. The daughter of Tiznow seized command at the three-eighths pole and galloped away from her 11 rivals with authority, drawing off by eight lengths and under the wire in record time of 1:43.73 for 1 1/16 miles.
Saskawea, a Canadian-bred filly who remains eligible for the June 10 Labatt Woodbine Oaks, closed determinedly to repel a wide challenge from Darley Stable invader Marietta for second.
Bear Now, a three-year-old Kentucky-bred, is trained by Reade Baker and is owned by Bear Stables Ltd. of Danny Dion. Jockey Emile Ramsammy left sharply with Bear Now and guided his mount into a dream position, sitting third behind dueling front-runners, My List and stablemate Bear Bullet Too, who carved out fractions of :23.28 and :46.51.
“She’s got the speed to put herself where you want to be. Today, she relaxed in behind two pacesetters. It worked out perfectly,” said Ramsammy. Before the Selene, Ramsammy had only ever worked Bear Now.
“I had a chance to work her in her last work before the race. It was nice to get on her in the morning to prepare her for the afternoon. It was very much the same as the work,” said Ramammy, who won five stakes races in 2006, including the $1-million Queen’s Plate.
The victory was Bear Now’s third win in eight career starts, increasing her earnings to $223,800.
Bear Now’s Polytrack record is now 3-for-5. Last fall, Bear Now won her first two attempts over the surface, a September 22 maiden allowance and a November 8 first-level allowance, both in wire-to-wire fashion.
After her second victory, Baker entered her in the Glorious Song Stakes. She set the pace and tired to finish third, eight lengths behind Sealy Hill. As a result, the Glorious Song was the last time Baker would strap blinkers across her face.
“When I had the blinkers on her, she wanted to stop. She wanted to stop (when she had blinkers on). As soon as we took the blinkers off, she was a different horse,” said Baker. “She ran well today.”
In her first star without the equipment, Bear Now was a late-running fourth in the Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs (December 30). In her 2007 Woodbine debut, she was a willing third in the Star Shoot Stakes, 2 1/4 lengths behind Native Legend.
The Selene was the first two-turn effort of Bear Now’s career.
“It’s nice for the owner. He has the mother and both sisters,” said Baker.
Bear Now returned $26.70, $9.40, $6.90 and combined with Saskawea ($4.80, $3.40) for a $119.90 exactor. Marietta ($3.90) rounded out a triactor worth $769.60. Silky Smooth finished fourth, completing a $1 superfecta worth $3,027.05.
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