Juxtapose Seeks Stakes Glory in Bessarabian at Woodbine

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Juxtapose Seeks Stakes Glory in Bessarabian at Woodbine
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Photo: Michael Burns
Juxtapose (red and black silks) wins an allowance race on the turf at Woodbine

Former claimer Juxtapose , a 4-year-old daughter of Verrazano , goes after her first added-money win in the CA$175,000 Bessarabian Stakes (G2) Oct. 13 at Woodbine. The seven-furlong main track feature for fillies and mares, three-years-old and upward, has drawn eight other starters. 

Also Saturday, 10 fillies and mares, 3-years-old and upward, travel 1 1/4 miles on the Tapeta in the CA$150,000 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3). Woodbine has the only graded races across North America on Saturday.

Trained by Steve Owens, Kentucky-bred Juxtapose heads into her second straight stakes date after notching a third in the Ontario Matron (G3) Oct. 10 at Woodbine. That effort came after a seven-furlong grass win, the sixth victory of her career, on Aug. 22 at Woodbine.

The dark bay, bred by Alvin D. Haynes Estate, brings a record of 6-0-3 from 13 starts into the Bessarabian for owners James Redekop and Stefan Ferrario.

"Juxtapose, she's a nice little filly who tries hard every race," praised Owens. "She's a little difficult to train, but she gives 110% every time we take her out there in the afternoon." 

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Last year, she went 2-0-2 from six starts. In 2021, she's 2-0-1 from four appearances. She is a 20-1 outsider on the morning line for the Bessarabian.

Owens, closing in on 300 career wins, has a good idea of what to expect from Juxtapose in the Bessarabian. 

"She's a little better, I feel, on the turf, but she'll run on broken glass. She does whatever you need her to do out there." 

If recent patterns are any indication of what's in store for Juxtapose on Saturday, Owens will no doubt be encouraged. 

In her last seven starts, she's finished third, first, fifth, first, fifth, first, and third, respectively. If that pattern continues, another win could follow.

"She's at a good distance," Owens said. "She's cutting back from a mile-and-a-sixteenth and she had a really lovely work on the weekend, :48, out in a minute and one-fifth. She had a really nice work two weeks ago that set her up for that one, :59 and change, and galloped out in 1:12 1/5. So, she's coming into the race in the right condition."

Conditioner Josie Carroll, who sends out Jungle Racing's Gidgetta , has won three runnings of the Bessarabian, including in 2017 and 2018, both with Moonlit Promise . She also won with Smart Surprise  in 2008.

Gidgetta is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, just ahead of Charles Fipke's Lady Speightspeare  at 4-1. The latter is trained by fellow three-time Bessarabian winner Roger Attfield.

The Maple Leaf will be tested over a classic distance. Starters there include the Mark Casse-trained foursome of Art of Almost , Broadway Lady , Crystal Glacier , and Skygaze . 

The U.S.-based Graham Motion will send out Sister Otoole , a 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Amira's Prince (IRE), who sports a 2-3-3 record from 10 starts. 

The Bessarabian is carded as race eight on Saturday's 11-race program. The Maple Leaf goes as race seven. 


Entries: Bessarabian S. (G2)

Woodbine, Saturday, November 13, 2021, Race 8

  • Grade II
  • 7f
  • All Weather Track
  • $175,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:26 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Gidgetta (KY) Patrick Husbands 121 Josie Carroll 3/1
2 2La Libertee (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 119 Mark E. Casse 12/1
3 3Spun Glass (MD) Luis Contreras 121 Michael J. Trombetta 15/1
4 4Lady Speightspeare (KY) Emma-Jayne Wilson 119 Roger L. Attfield 4/1
5 5Aug Lutes (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Antonio A. Gallardo 120 Michael J. Trombetta 8/1
6 6Juxtapose (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Gary Boulanger 121 Steven Owens 20/1
7 7Our Secret Agent (KY) Kazushi Kimura 123 Mark E. Casse 2/1
8 8Emmeline (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Justin Stein 119 John Mattine 20/1
9 9Tuned (GB) Daisuke Fukumoto 122 H. Graham Motion 6/1


Entries: Maple Leaf S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, November 13, 2021, Race 7

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/4m
  • All Weather Track
  • $150,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 3:56 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Merveilleux (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Justin Stein 120 Kevin Attard 3/1
2 2Art of Almost (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Emma-Jayne Wilson 123 Mark E. Casse 8/1
3 3Skygaze (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Patrick Husbands 123 Mark E. Casse 7/2
4 4Sister Otoole (FL) Kazushi Kimura 121 H. Graham Motion 8/1
5 5La Lune (GB) David Moran 122 Edward Vaughan 8/1
6 6Peace Seeker (FL) Antonio A. Gallardo 120 Nicholas Nosowenko 20/1
7 7Broadway Lady (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 122 Mark E. Casse 4/1
8 8Ann of Cleves (ON) Keveh Nicholls 120 John P. LeBlanc, Jr. 20/1
9 9Crystal Glacier (KY) Gary Boulanger 122 Mark E. Casse 15/1
10 10Lake Lucerne (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 122 Brendan P. Walsh 6/1