No Catching Mizzen Beau in Bison City
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Photo: Michael Burns
Mizzen Beau wins the Bison City Stakes at Woodbine
Mizzen Beau was strong early and powerful late Sept. 12 in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes Presented by Rethink Breast Cancer at Woodbine.
The 1 1/16-mile Bison City, the second leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, was missing Curlin's Voyage, who won the Aug. 15 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser on August 15. The daughter of Curlin instead contested the Queen's Plate on the Saturday card, finishing fifth. The third and final leg in the series is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, run Oct. 25 at 1 1/4 miles on the turf at Woodbine.
Trained by Norm Casse, Mizzen Beau arrived at the Bison City off a fourth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks. It was the second consecutive start at Woodbine for Daniel Investment Holdings' gray, who finished fifth in the July 5 Fury Stakes.
The third time at the Toronto oval proved to be the charm.
Breaking sharply from the gate under Steve Bahen, Mizzen Beau was guided toward the rail as Infinite Patience and Truth Hurts settled in second and third, respectively, through an opening quarter in :23.49. Favored Afleet Katherine, the runner-up to Curlin's Voyage in the Woodbine Oaks, sat fifth along the rail.
It was status quo for the top flight after a half-mile clip in :47.68, as Mizzen Beau maintained a comfortable one-length lead.
As the eight-horse field began the turn for home, Afleet Katherine looked for a seam to take aim at the leader, while Truth Hurts attempted an inside bid. Any thoughts of corralling Mizzen Beau were quickly dashed, however, as Bahen and the Richard Lister-bred filly dashed away from their rivals with ease, widening their advantage down the lane.
Mizzen Beau, who delivered Casse his first Canadian win, was 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Afleet Katherine at the wire. Truth Hurts was a head back in third.
The final time over the Tapeta was 1:44.35. Mizzen Beau returned $19.10 to win.
"She broke real sharp, and she's kind of a small little filly," said Bahen, who teamed with Silent Fleet to win the 1996 Bison City. "Norm just said kind of let her be happy where she is like last time, and she was up there kind of tugging on me so I said, 'OK, this is where we're going to be' just hoping she'd settle down, and she did down the backside. Was perfect."
Just as it was down the stretch.
"I didn't hear anybody behind me," noted Bahen. "I kind of smooched to her to make her pick it up a little bit just on her own, and when we turned for home we went."
The win was the third from nine starts for the daughter of Mizzen Mast, who debuted last July with a fourth-place finish at Ellis Park. Mizzen Beau broke her maiden in her third start, a sharp 2 3/4-length score over seven panels Oct. 11 on the Keeneland dirt. She was a $100,000 purchase by Patrick Daniel from Grassroots Training & Sales' consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in 2019.
She is the lone winner from two foals to race from the stakes placed Stormy Atlantic mare Donna Getyourgun. The mare also has a 2-year-old named Shake It Out West (by Speightster ) that is unplaced in four starts, and she foaled a City of Light filly this year.