Seffeara stalked a hot early pace en route to capturing Saturday’s $125,000 off-the-turf Bold Ruckus Stakes, at Woodbine.
Owned and bred by Empress Stables, nom de course for the outfit headed by trainer Steve Owens, his wife Beverly and their young daughter, Emma, Seffeara tempered his trademark early speed under a patient ride by Gary Boulanger, before sweeping home a 3 1/4-length winner in the six furlong sprint for Ontario-sired sophomores.
Masquerade Party, with Patrick Husbands up, marked the opening quarter in :22.10 under pressure from Jacks Escarpment and Wall Street Wolf. Super Colerosa, sixth at the quarter, rushed up to take the lead through a half-mile in :44.73 as Boulanger and Seffeara saved ground along the rail in third position.
Boulanger angled Seffeara off the rail approaching the stretch run and surged to the lead inside a furlong to go under a hand ride. Goodoldhockeygame rallied from well off the pace to complete the exactor, 2 ¼-lengths in front of Super Colerosa. Seffeara covered six furlongs in 1:09.13.
A claim of foul by Tyler Pizarro (Wall Street Wolf) against Goodoldhockeygame for interference near the quarter pole was disallowed by the stewards.
“It looked like there was a lot of speed (in the race.) Steve and I talked about it and decided to just ride him smart, with some kind of confidence,” said Boulanger. “If nobody goes and we break good then we’ll go, but I’m not going to gun him to get there. He broke okay and Patrick (Husbands, Masquerade Party) sent and I saw three or four of them go, so now I’m just holding on to his head trying to make him stay there and sit there.
“He was in the bridle pretty strong through the turn and when Eurico’s (da Silva, Jacks Escarpment) horse faded I worked outside of Contreras (Super Colerosa) and he was just much the best today.”
Boulanger guided Seffeara through his first five career starts, including a track record-setting maiden score and a win in the Clarendon Stakes. Emma-Jayne Wilson and then Luis Contreras piloted Seffeara through his first two sophomore starts before the Old Forester bay was reunited with Boulanger for the Bold Ruckus.
“I had nothing but horse. Him and I seem to click for whatever reason. I worked him last year a bunch and rode him a bunch,” said Boulanger. “We’ve sat in behind horses in the morning and he would always do it (go past horses). It’s just that he’s such a good gate horse, he’s always up close and got involved early. Today he broke good, but he didn’t grab on to me so I just left him alone and tracked from there and it was pretty simple.”
Seffeara banked $75,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-1-1 from 8 career starts.
He paid $14.90, $5.10 and $3.60, combining with Goodoldhockeygame ($2.90, $2.30) for a $47.10 (1-5) exactor. A 1-5-6 triactor (Super Colerosa, $3.10 to show) was worth $166.20, while a $1 Superfecta [1-5-6-2 (Masquerade Party)] came back $370.85. Undercover Cat was scratched.
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