European Raider Woody Creek Seeks Woodbine's Nearctic

There is an opinion in some corners that European grass runners are inferior to their North American counterparts when racing short distances in this part of the world, a view backed by Europeans being winless in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) since its inception in 2008.

The theory gets another test Oct. 12 in the CA$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) when Woody Creek invades from overseas to take on eight rivals at Woodbine, this time under a more European-style setting over that track's sweeping turf course and lengthy stretch. At six furlongs, the race is longer than most U.S. grass sprints, typically contested between five and 5 1/2 furlongs.

These conditions combine to make 3-year-old Woody Creek a threat in a race last won by a European shipper in 2014 when Caspar Netscher did the honors.

This year while racing predominantly in Ireland, Woody Creek has gone 2-3-0 from nine starts, with improved form since the spring. She won back-to-back races in May before rising into stakes ranks in the summer and contending against higher-quality runners. There, she rattled off three consecutive runner-up finishes, including a neck defeat in the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Phoenix Sprint Stakes (G3) against older males.

She is pitted against similar types Saturday, including Yorkton, the leading money earner in the field with $498,090 in earnings, and Richiesinthehouse, a winner of 12 of 17 starts, mostly on synthetic.

Woody Creek is, conversely, a grass performer. "She really seems like a six-furlong specialist," said Craig Bernick, president of Glen Hill Farm, which owns her.

Her spring victories came at the trip, as did her collection of stakes placings, before she finished fifth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths, in the Al Maktoum Cup Arran Scottish Fillies Sprint Stakes Sept. 20 at Ayr, a race in which she encountered a difficult trip.

"She was bothered about three or four times and came running," Bernick said.

In preparation for racing at Ayr in Scotland, Woody Creek had to ship by boat from her Irish base. She handled the shipping without incident, so her connections were inclined to give her a test at Woodbine, a race expected to finish her 2019 campaign.

"She's fresh; she traveled well," said Eimear McHugh, traveling assistant to trainer James Stack.

In receipt of age and sex weight allowances, Woody Creek carries just 110 pounds, nine to 11 pounds less than her foes. Lightweight jockey Kazushi Kimura will ride.

A daughter of Zoffany out of the Pastoral Pursuits mare Belle Isle, Woody Creek is a half sister to Abel Handy, winner of the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes (G3).

Woody Creek aims to become the first filly to win the Nearctic since the 4-year-old Serious Attitude upset the 2010 edition.

Proven on the grass at Woodbine is Blind Ambition, winner of a Sept. 6 allowance optional claiming race in his lone start of the year. He rated just off the pace and had the punch necessary to outrun fellow Nearctic entrant Reconfigure by three-quarters of a length.

Video: Race 3 (AOC) at WO on 9/6/19

A 5-year-old son of Tapit  trained by Mark Casse for Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable, Blind Ambition won the Quick Call Stakes at 3 and Elusive Quality Stakes at 4 in New York when trained at the time by Todd Pletcher. Eurico Rosa da Silva will ride the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

Besides Woody Creek at 8-1 odds, other horses tabbed in the single digits on the morning-line include Admiralty Pier (6-1), Richiesinthehouse (7-2), and Yorkton (3-1), all stakes winners. Admiralty Pier won the Display Stakes in 2017 during a championship 2-year-old season in Canada, Richiesinthehouse took the Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap for Illinois-breds at Arlington this summer, and Yorkton has five stakes wins, including consecutive runnings of the Bold Venture Stakes (G3) on Woodbine's Tapeta main track in 2018-19.

Yorkton, beaten a neck when second in last year's edition on good ground, drew well on the outside in post 9, leaving jockey Patrick Husbands in position to monitor the race's three other principal frontrunners.

"He's just fast, that's his problem, but he doesn't need to be on the lead," trainer Stuart Simon said. "I know he could track horses, especially coming from the nine hole."

A 5-year-old son of Speightstown , Yorkton is 1-for-8 on turf, winning the Charlie Barley Stakes over one mile as a 3-year-old. He is 6-for-14 on synthetic.

Entries: Nearctic S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, October 12, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Admiralty Pier (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	119	Barbara J. Minshall	6/1
2	2Lookin to Strike (KY)	Jerome Lermyte	119	Mark E. Casse	12/1
3	3Boreal Spirit (ON)	Gary Boulanger	119	Jennifer Shafer	10/1
4	4Reconfigure (KY)	Luis Contreras	119	Robert P. Tiller	12/1
5	5City Boy (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	119	Michael Keogh	20/1
6	6Blind Ambition (KY)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	119	Mark E. Casse	5/2
7	7Woody Creek (GB)	Kazushi Kimura	110	James A. Stack	8/1
8	8Richiesinthehouse (IL)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	119	Larry Rivelli	7/2
9	9Yorkton (ON)	Patrick Husbands	121	Stuart C. Simon	3/1