In a pulsating drive to the wire, Seen It All Before came back to edge Kingsport and capture the $125,000 Bunty Lawless Stakes Sunday at Woodbine.
At the finish, Seen It All Before had outlasted Kingsport by a nostril, with favoured Born in a Breeze mounting a late rally on the rail to finish two lengths further back in third. However, before the official sign went up, there was a stewards’ inquiry involving the top two finishers to review some mild stretch bumping.
The turf, one mile Bunty Lawless for Ontario-sired three-year-olds and upward, drew a full, wide-open field of 14, but wagering was directed at two horses, Born in a Breeze, the 9-5 choice and 7-2 Kingsport, the one-two finishers in the Vice Regent Stakes on August 30.
Instead, it was the 2013 winner of the Vice Regent Stakes who prevailed. Dismissed at 10-1, the Colebrook Farms’ homebred Seen It All Before, trained by Ashlee Brnjas, with a red-hot Luis Contreras in the irons, had to overcome the outside post 14 while winning his second race in a row in his sixth start of the year, after missing the entire 2014 campaign.
Placed in ninth for part of the trip, Seen It All Before rallied outside of Kingsport in mid-stretch as both battled gamely to the wire.
“It was a big fight in the stretch but I’m proud of him,” said Contreras, who was winning the Bunty Lawless for a third time, after taking the 2011 and 2012 editions with the Sovereign Award-winning Pender Harbour. “My trip was pretty clean. I got nobody outside of me.”
Longshot Sparrowhawk took the field through early fractions of :23.18, :46.32 and 1:10.26 over the ‘good’ turf, before fading as the field turned into the lengthy E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch. At that point, San Nicola Thunder, the defending Bunty Lawless champ, loomed into contention, while right behind him, Kingsport and Seen It All Before rallied as a team, with Born in a Breeze charging up the rail.
“Patience, patience, patience. It always pays off in this game,” said owner John Brnjas. “We put him away for a year. He had a problem. We brought him back and he’s really on top of his game right now.”
The gelded six-year-old chestnut son of Niigon-A Familiar Face was winning his fifth race in just 17 career starts, and has now banked over $350,000, including today’s winner’s share of $75,000.
In addition to Pender Harbour, the restricted stake was also won on three occasions by Rahy’s Attorney, who also took the 2008 Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
Seen It All Before paid $22.70, $9.50 and $6, combining with Kingsport ($5.60, $3.50) for a $121 (14-12) exactor. A 14-12-5 (Born in a Breeze, $$2.60) triactor was worth $423.20, while a $1 Superfecta [14-12-5-11 (San Nicola Thunder)] returned a whopping $5,887.20.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
