Bear's Pride Takes Victoriana in Final Stride

Bear Stables Ltd. homebred Bear’s Pride collared pacesetter Silent Treat in the shadow of the wire to win Saturday’s $126,600 Victoriana Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Reade Baker for owner Bear Stables Ltd., the Kentucky Bear-Molly’s Pride chestnut needed every bit of the lengthy stretch run in the 1 1/16-mile turf tilt for Ontario-sired older fillies and mares to earn her first stakes score.

Silent Treat, with Michelle Rainford up, broke sharp and set swift splits of :21.88 and :44.02 with Scotty’s Model and Clarkston Hope tracking her early foot. Bear’s Pride, away alertly, settled smartly into tenth position through three-quarters of a mile in 1:08.39 under Patrick Husbands before being urged into contention through the turn.

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Rainford and Silent Treat opened up a 4 1/2-lengths advantage at the top of the lane, putting away the pace pressers, and appeared to be on her way to victory only for Bear’s Pride, with a mazy stretch run, to come and spoil the theft. Bear’s Pride notched a neck victory in a final running time of 1:40.22.

Husbands, aboard Bear’s Pride for the first time since May 23, 2014 when third in an allowance route on the Woodbine main, decided to employ a different strategy than the prominent trips the chestnut received in her first two starts of the meet.

“Looking at the form, there was a lot of speed in the race,” said Husbands. “My horse likes to be in the game, but Reade told me in the paddock that the last two times there was no speed in the race and she ended up on the lead. So, that gave me something to think about.”

Bear’s Pride won her seasonal debut with a front-end trip going a mile on the turf, but failed to stay the distance last time out when fifth in a 1 1/8-miles grassy allowance event.

Closing into the swift pace in the Victoriana proved to be a wise decision by Husbands.

“By the time I reached the bottom of the lane, all of them were coming back to me and I just had to weave my way through and get the job done,” said Husbands.

Bear’s Pride banked $75,000 in victory while improving her record to 5-1-3 from 15 starts.

She paid $20.70, $8.10 and $5.40, combining with Silent Treat ($4.30, $3.20) for an $85.10 (9-4) exactor. A 9-4-10 triactor (Sweater Weather, $8.60 to show) was worth $900.80, while a $1 Superfecta [9-4-10-8 (Lynnessa)] came back $4068.85.