Bear No Joke After Repeat in Kennedy Road

Bear No Joke will attempt to end a streak of three successive runner-up finishes as he defends his title in the $200,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-II) Nov. 23 at Woodbine.



His owner, Bear Stables, and trainer Reade Baker will be shooting for a third straight Kennedy Road victory after also winning the race in 2012 with Bear Tough Tiger.



Eight are entered in Sunday's six-furlong Polytrack tilt with another Baker trainee, Sharp Sensation, toting top weight of 121 pounds. The Kennedy Road is race 8 on the card with a scheduled post time of 4:16 p.m EST.



Baker has half the Kennedy Road entrants including Go Blue Or Go Home, who adds blinkers for his first start since July 20, and Jose Sea View.



Bear No Joke was rested for about 5 1/2 months following last year's upset victory by half a length over Canadian sprint champion Essence Hit Man at odds of 17-1. The 6-year-old son of It's No Joke hasn't won in five starts since returning in mid-May but he's been close.



In his most recent start, an allowance/optional claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs, Bear No Joke led in a pace duel past mid-stretch before falling short by two lengths as the 9-10 choice Nov. 5 at Woodbine.



Patrick Husbands, second among Woodbine jockeys as of Nov. 20, two behind Luis Contreras, takes over on the gray gelding. Bear No Joke was assigned 115 pounds and breaks from post 4.



Stablemate Sharp Sensation, owned by Jim and Susan Hill, won the Turf Monster Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Parx Racing Sept. 1 and is coming off a victory in the Bet On Sunshine Stakes on the dirt Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old Sharp Humor gelding is 3-for-5 lifetime at Woodbine, and 6-for-11 overall with lifetime earnings of $405,134. Jesse Campbell, who won the 2011 Kennedy Road aboard Essence Hit Man, has the mount.



Grade III winner Go Blue Or Go Home, also owned by the Hills and ridden from the rail by Contreras, was fourth in last year's Kennedy Road, though just two lengths behind Bear No Joke. Brereton C. Jones' Jose Sea View won last December's listed Display Stakes at Woodbine but hasn't found the winner's circle in six races this year.



Sure to get attention is the Kevin Attard-trained Calgary Cat, another Woodbine stalwart with five wins in 10 tries over the track. Stephen Chesney and Corey Hoffman's 4-year-old Cowtown Cat   gelding won Woodbine's Bold Venture (Can-III) by three lengths Sept. 13. He returned on the turf five weeks later and finished a game third in the Nearctic Stakes (Can-IIT) as a slight favorite. Eurico Rosa Da Silva retains the mount.



Starting from the far outside post is Black Hornet, who was third in the Bold Venture and a close second after setting a swift pace in the Nearctic. Pat Parente trains the 4-year-old Pioneering gelding who will be ridden again by Justin Stein for Winview Racing Stable.



Bruce Lunsford's homebred Stacked Deck won the Charlie Barley on turf in July at Woodbine, and is coming off a front-running tally in an allowance heat at six furlongs Oct. 5 for trainer Barbara Minshall. Emma-Jayne Wilson rides.