Synthetic Track Awaits Xenobia in Bessarabian Stakes

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Synthetic Track Awaits Xenobia in Bessarabian Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Xenobia wins the Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park

One start after earning a graded stakes win in the United States, Augustin Stable's Xenobia will try her luck in Canada when she faces an expected 11 other fillies and mares in the Bessarabian Stakes (G2) Nov. 24 at Woodbine.

The start in the seven-furlong test that carries a purse of CA$175,000 ($131,650) marks the first race on a synthetic surface for Xenobia, a 5-year-old Falco mare who competed for three seasons in Ireland and England—winning a group 3 race in Ireland—before being shipped to North America for the 2019 season.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Xenobia has improved in each of her three starts this year—all on the inner turf at Belmont Park. After a fourth and a second in allowance-level races, Xenobia opened a six-length lead early in the Athenia Stakes (G3T) and cruised home to a clear victory in the 1 1/16-mile test Oct. 20.

Terra Racing Stable's Amalfi Coast is 10-1 on the morning line, but the 3-year-old daughter of Tapizar  carries momentum into Sunday's test with back-to-back wins in stakes restricted to Ontario-bred fillies and mares on the Woodbine turf. Amalfi Coast, who will face older horses in a stakes for the first time, also has a win and three placings in five starts on the synthetic track.

"She's definitely been very versatile," said her trainer, Kevin Attard. "We're asking her to cut back from a mile and an eighth to seven furlongs. … It's going to be a little bit challenging. She's at home, and she'll be facing older horses for the first time, and that's another little hurdle there as well. But we're at home, and it's a lot easier to go from your stall to the front side than it is to put her on a van for 10 hours."


Entries: Bessarabian S. (G2)

Woodbine, Sunday, November 24, 2019, Race 8

  • Grade II
  • 7f
  • All Weather Track
  • $175,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:43 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Painting (KY) Kazushi Kimura 114 Josie Carroll 20/1
2 2Amalfi Coast (ON) Eurico Rosa Da Silva 114 Kevin Attard 10/1
3 3Zestina (ON) David Moran 117 Sid C. Attard 20/1
4 4Heavenly Hill (KY) Justin Stein 117 Josie Carroll 10/1
5 5Above All Names (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Gary Boulanger 114 Blair A. Miller 20/1
6 6Xenobia (IRE) Nik Juarez 119 Jonathan Thomas 5/2
7 7Gamble's Candy (ON) Luis Contreras 114 Josie Carroll 6/1
8 8Souper Striking (FL) Jerome Lermyte 117 Michael J. Trombetta 20/1
9 9Misericordia (GB) Jevian Toledo 117 Jorge Duarte, Jr. 8/1
10 10Red Cabernet (ON) Emma-Jayne Wilson 117 Ian Black 12/1
11 11Lady Mamba (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rafael Manuel Hernandez 117 Cherie DeVaux 10/1
12 12Special Relativity (KY) David Cohen 117 Norman McKnight 7/2