New Owner for Native Bombshell in Bessarabian

Winner of the Ontario Fashion Stakes (Can-III) following a year's layoff, recently sold Native Bombshell will try to avoid a bounce as she returns to action in the $200,000 Bessarabian Stakes (Can-II) Nov. 16 at Woodbine.



Since winning the Ontario Fashion, Native Bombshell was purchased for $700,000 Nov. 3 by Frank Stronach from the Paramount Sales consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale.



Previously trained by Chad Brown for owners Michael Dubb, the Elkstone Group, Bethlehem Stables, et al., the 4-year-old daughter of War Front   now races for Stronach Stables and trainer Sid Attard following her purchase. She will also have a new rider in the Bessarabian with Jesse Campbell taking over for Patrick Husbands, who is on Stonestreet Stables' Hillaby for trainer Mark Casse.



Ten other fillies and mares including Ontario Fashion runner-up Disco Barbie await Native Bombshell in Sunday's seven-furlong Polytrack test. The Bessarabian is the eighth of 10 races on the card with a scheduled post time of 4:24 p.m. EST.



Native Bombshell was shuffled back in the six-furlong Ontario Fashion Oct. 19 before rallying in the stretch after getting clear on the outside and bettering the 8-5 favorite Disco Barbie in the final sixteenth of a mile by a neck. She was timed in 1:09.48 following swift fractions of :22 flat and :44.41 set by Cryptic Message, who also returns in the Bessarabian after a third-place finish.



The victory came in Native Bombshell's first start since winning the Ruling Angel Stakes Oct. 26, 2013, and boosted her career mark to four wins from six tries with earnings of $207,293. The dark bay filly will break from post 8 while carrying 119 pounds.



Dianne Manning's Disco Barbie also came from far back in the Ontario Fashion and was out-kicked in the late stages. The Dale Capuano trainee was making her first Woodbine start after shipping in off a fast-closing runner-up finish in the Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. II) Sept. 8.



Sporting a career line of 5-3-4 in 13 races with earnings of $271,235, the consistent 4-year-old daughter of Pure Prize again will team with Trevor McCarthy in search of her first stakes victory. They leave from post 5 under 117 pounds.



The speedy Cryptic Message, a $50,000 claim by trainer/owner Michael Doyle in the race prior to the Ontario Fashion, will try to take them all the way once again from post 10 with Eurico Rosa Da Silva aboard. She nearly did it last time while all out in the final furlong.



Also coming out of the Ontario Fashion are Stone Farm's Cat Lore (fourth) for trainer Roger Attfield, and Richard Johnson's Strike the Moon (sixth), from the Mike Trombetta barn.



Stonestreet's Hillaby has won three of four starts this year and makes her graded stakes debut for Casse following a gate-to-wire romp in a Woodbine allowance/optional claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs Oct. 19.



Also coming off an allowance/optional claiming win is Martin Schwartz's New York shipper Dauphine Russe, who tallied by 1 1/4 lengths over a good inner turf course at Belmont Park Oct. 13. Trained by Brown, the 4-year-old French-bred filly ran fourth in the Prix de Sandringham (Fr-II) at Chantilly in her final overseas start last year before transferring to the U.S.



The 121-pound highweight is Pirate's Trove, who returns to Woodbine after fading to last of 11 in the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland Oct. 18. The 3-year-old Speightstown   filly was unbeaten in three prior starts, including the listed Duchess Stakes in July and the Etobicoke Stakes Sept. 1, both at Woodbine.