Nearctic Proves Next Stop for Bound for Nowhere

Bound for Nowhere , a well-traveled 8-year-old owned and trained by Wesley Ward, shipped in from Kentucky this July to take down the Highlander Stakes (G2T) over six furlongs of Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course. 

Now the four-time stakes winner will be looking to add to his laurels when he faces eight rivals in the CA$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) Oct. 8 over the same layout. 

"This has been his next goal since he won his last race up there," said Ward. "I think he ran a phenomenal race and I'm really excited to get him back going again. And I didn't want to run into my own horse, Golden Pal , down here at Keeneland." 

Golden Pal will be favored in Saturday's Woodford Stakes Presented by FanDuel (G2T) at the Lexington oval, and provided all remains well, will be seeking a repeat there in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). He has a much higher profile than Bound for Nowhere.  

But Bound for Nowhere sports some serious credentials of his own, with four career stakes victories in North America and a group 1-placing to show for his four trips to face elite company across the pond. 

Despite his rather advanced age, the Kentucky-bred son of The Factor   has made just 19 career starts.  

"I've owned him since he was a yearling," said Ward. "I can choose where I want to run him, and I'm very patient with him." 

Kazushi Kimura, Woodbine's leading rider, has picked up the mount on Bound for Nowhere. 

Silent Poet , a 7-year-old gelding trained by Nick Gonzalez, is the only grade 1 winner in the Nearctic lineup, having captured the Highlander 14 months ago when it was still a grade 1. 

Although Silent Poet is winless in five starts this year, Gonzalez believes the Stronach Stables' homebred will make his presence felt in the Nearctic. 

"The cool down in the weather has really picked his head up," said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, in fact, is thankful that Silent Poet will be going to the post at all after watching his stable star get knocked into the rail when finishing seventh (moved to sixth via a disqualification) as the odds-on choice last out in the restricted five-furlong Vice Regent Stakes on the inner turf. 

"That was a nightmare," said Gonzalez. "I was just so glad nothing happened to him. He just got turned sideways. We were unlucky that it happened, but lucky that he didn't get injured. That was brutal." 

Regular rider Justin Stein returns aboard Silent Poet. 

Entries: Nearctic S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, October 08, 2022, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Noble Emotion (NY)	Antonio A. Gallardo	121	Horacio De Paz	8/1
2	2Ice Chocolat (BRZ)	Sahin Civaci	121	Mark E. Casse	15/1
3	3Wedgewood (ON)	Jason Hoyte	121	Michael Keogh	12/1
4	4Into the Sunrise (KY)	Sahin Civaci	121	Mark E. Casse	20/1
5	5Fauci (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	121	Philip Antonacci	6/1
6	6Roaring Forties (FL)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	121	Katerina Vassilieva	10/1
7	7Silent Poet (ON)	Justin Stein	124	Nicholas Gonzalez	4/1
8	8Bound for Nowhere (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	124	Wesley A. Ward	1/1
9	9Cazadero (KY)	Patrick Husbands	121	Brendan P. Walsh	20/1

Artie's Storm Threatens in Durham Cup

Artie's Storm 's late surge fell just short at Woodbine in the 1 1/16-mile Seagram Cup (G3) Aug. 14. 

On Saturday, a more timely descent could land Artie's Storm in the winner's circle when he faces eight other older rivals under the same terms in the CA$150,000 Durham Cup (G3). 

"He was flying on end," said trainer Paul Buttigieg, who also races the gelding under the Buttigieg Training Centre banner. "Another jump, he wins it." 

The 4-year-old son of We Miss Artie  has been the steadiest member of a volatile older male main track division racing around two turns this season, scoring over runner-up Frosted Over  in the Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes (G2) in his seasonal bow at 1 1/16 miles and following with a second-place finish behind that rival in the 1 1/8-mile Dominion Day Stakes (G3).  

Following a ninth-place finish in the Connaught Cup (G2T) over seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, he rediscovered his better stride during his unlucky most recent venture. 

War Bomber , a front-running winner at 18-1 in the Seagram Cup Stakes (G3), returned to finish a faltering ninth of 11 in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T) and is back where he can do some damage on Saturday. 

Owned by Bruno Schickedanz and conditioned by Norm McKnight, the gelding again will have Sahin Civaci in the irons. 

Frosted Over, Canada's champion 3-year-old male of 2021, ended fourth as the favorite in the Seagram Cup after failing to make much of an impression when debuting on turf in the 1 1/4-mile Niagara Stakes for Mark Casse. 

The dark horse in the Durham Cup is Special Forces , who at age 7 is spotting three years to each of his rivals.

 Casse also will field Like the King  and Who's the Star  in the Durham Cup. 

Like the King became a stakes winner in Turfway Park's Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) last year before running 12th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) for Ward, his former conditioner. In his most recent outing, the colt ran a good third in the Niagara Stakes, which was won by 13-1 stablemate Who's the Star. 

Entries: Durham Cup S. (G3)

Woodbine, Saturday, October 08, 2022, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• All Weather Track
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Like the King (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	121	Mark E. Casse	15/1
2	2Irwin (IRE)	Antonio A. Gallardo	121	Philip Antonacci	10/1
3	3War Bomber (IRE)	Sahin Civaci	123	Norman McKnight	6/1
4	4Frosted Over (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	123	Mark E. Casse	5/2
5	5Artie's Storm (ON)	David Moran	123	Paul M. Buttigieg	3/1
6	6Riptide Rock (ON)	Justin Stein	121	Sid C. Attard	12/1
7	7Hombre (ON)	Declan Carroll	122	Roger L. Attfield	7/2
8	8Special Forces (KY)	Luis Contreras	121	Kevin Attard	20/1
9	9Who's the Star (KY)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	123	Mark E. Casse	10/1