Mythical Mission headlines Bison City

Sam-Son Farm homebred Mythical Mission, runner-up in the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, will look to go one better in Sunday’s $225,000 Bison City Stakes, the second leg of the filly Triple Tiara.

Trained by Malcolm Pierce, Mythical Mission had the lead at the top of the lane in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks but could not hold off the onrushing Holy Helena in the filly classic. The winner, Holy Helena, came back to beat the boys in The Queen’s Plate this past weekend. The third-place finisher in the Oaks, Inflexibility, duplicated her Oaks effort in the Plate to complete the trifecta.

Following the Oaks, Pierce had planned to skip the Bison City but now is keen to try the Bison City over 1 1/16-miles on the Woodbine Tapeta.

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“The plan was to wait for the Wonder Where, but with the two fillies who were first and third in the Oaks running in the Plate, I’m taking a hard look at the Bison City,” said Pierce. “It’s hard to let a $225,000 race go by when she’d probably be the favorite for that race. Our plan, originally, was to wait for the Wonder Where, but plans change sometimes.”

The talented Mythical Mission, who boasts a record of 2-1-2 from five starts, is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner and 2012 Champion Grass Mare and Three-Year-Old filly Irish Mission who won the Oaks and the Breeders’ Stakes in a splendid sophomore campaign.

A Giant’s Causeway-Misty Mission chestnut, Mythical Mission won her first two career starts before hitting the board in a trio of stakes events when third in the Princess Elizabeth and third in the Fury ahead of her Oaks effort. Eurico Rosa da Silva retains the mount.

To win the Bison City, Mythical Mission will have to get the better of familiar rivals Enstone and Ghostly Presence as well as the supplemented maiden, Erin Commodity.

Enstone, trained by Mark Casse for East West Stables, has two wins and four seconds from nine starts including a score in the seven furlong Fury Stakes. The Tiznow bay was a good second in the Grade 3 Selene on May 21, but was no match for Holy Helena and Mythical Mission in the Oaks when fourth defeated seven lengths. Patrick Husbands retains the mount as Enstone shortens up as the likely pacesetter at 1 1/16-miles.

Ghostly Presence, trained by Roger Attfield for Chiefswood Stable, completed her juvenile season with a sparkling score in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes. However, the Ghostzapper chestnut is winless in three sophomore starts and will look to reverse her form on Sunday with Rafael Hernandez up.

Erin Commodity, trained by Kevin Attard for Hillsbrook Farms, is a maiden with good form and breeding. The Hansen-Go Go Neigh chestnut finished fifth in the Grade 1 Natalma last season in just her second career start. She made her seasonal debut on May 27 in a 1 1/16-mile maiden allowance on the Woodbine main and finished fourth, moved up to third following an inquiry, after being checked down the lane.

A half-sister to 2016 Breeders’ Stakes champ Camp Creek, Erin Commodity’s second dam, It’s a Ruby, produced the multiple stakes winner Like a Gem who is the dam of the highly-regarded mutliple graded stakes winner Hard Not to Like. Luis Contreras will ride.

South Ocean Stakes winner Cindervella, a solid fifth in the Oaks for trainer Mike DePaulo; and Logic of Absurdity, a maiden after one start for trainer Donald MacRae, complete the compact field. The third leg of the filly Triple Tiara, the Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/4-miles over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, is slated for Sunday, July 30.

The South Ocean is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post time is 1PM. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $225,000 BISON CITY STAKES
POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER
1 / Logic of Absurdity / Gary Boulanger / Don Macrae
2 / Ghostly Presence / Rafael Hernandez / Roger Attfield
3 / Erin Commodity / Luis Contreras / Kevin Attard
4 / Enstone / Patrick Husbands / Mark Casse
5 / Cindervella / Jesse Campbell / Mike DePaulo
6 / Mythical Mission / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Malcolm Pierce