TORONTO, July 16 – Essence Hit Man, twice named Canada’s champion sprinter, will look to get back on the winning track in Wednesday’s $150,000 Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes, at Woodbine. Essence Hit Man, trained by Larry Cappuccitti for A&G Racing Stable, made all the fractions last time out in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes, a seven furlong ‘Poly’ sprint, only to be collared in the final stride by Laugh Track. On Wednesday night, Essence Hit Man, who notched a third win in the Jacques Cartier Stakes in his seasonal debut, will benefit from a slight turn back in distance in the 6 1/2-furlong Bold Venture, but will have to hold off track record holder Consolidator Joe. Consolidator Joe, claimed for $25,000 by trainer Ross Armata for R.M.C Stable last September, continues to be one of the most consistent Woodbine-based sprinters. Since being claimed by Armata, the five-year-old Consolidator gelding has won four of seven starts. Last time out, Consolidator Joe scored a scintillating two-length win while lowering Woodbine’s 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack record by .04 of a second to 1:14.50. That effort earned the dark bay a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Luis Contreras retains the mount. A compact, but talented, six-horse field also includes last year’s Grade 3 Kennedy Road champ Bear Tough Tiger and recent New Providence Stakes winner Paso Doble. Bear Tough Tiger, trained by Reade Baker for Bear Stables Ltd., won five of eight starts in a productive 2012 campaign that also included a memorable third-place finish, defeated just a length by Next Question, in the grassy Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes with Justin Stein up. Last time out, Bear Tough Tiger finished eighth in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup following a difficult trip. Emma-Jayne Wilson picks up the mount with Stein opting to ride Court of the Realm. Paso Doble, a seven-year-old son of Bold n’ Flashy, races into the Bold Venture off a second-place finish to Fatal Bullet in a six furlong turf allowance. Trained by Mark Casse for Centennial Farms Inc., Paso Doble has a record of 1-2-0 from four starts this season including a 1 1/4-length score in the restricted New Providence Stakes, on May 20. Completing the field are Court of the Realm, a closing fourth to Bear Tough Tiger in the Kennedy Road in November, and Kentucky shipper Dimension. The Bold Venture is slated as Race 3 on Wednesday’s eight-race card. First post time is 6:45 p.m. EST. Fans can watch and wager on the card via HorsePlayer Interactive. FIELD FOR THE BOLD VENTURE POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER / ODDS 1 / Dimension / David Moran / Conor Murphy / 12-12 / Bear Tough Tiger / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Reade Baker / 5-23 / Essence Hit Man / Jesse Campbell / Larry Cappuccitti / 7-54 / Court of the Realm /Justin Stein / Peter Berringer / 9-25 / Consolidator Joe / Luis Contreras / Ross Armata / 4-16 / Paso Doble / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Mark Casse / 8-1 Share This:Share
