BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred stablemates Old Chestnut and Souper Watson will try to upset morning line favorite Candy Overload in the Grade 3 Bold Venture at Woodbine Sunday. The CA$150,000 Bold Venture has attracted a field of 10 older horses who will go six-and-a-half furlongs on the synthetic main course with Candy Overload labeled at 5-2 in the program.
In addition to being trained by Martin Drexler, both Old Chestnut and Souper Watson are 6-year-old geldings bred by Live Oak Stud.
Owned by Bruno Schickedanz, Old Chestnut is 4-1 on the morning line after two solid efforts on the Woodbine turf against graded-stakes company. He was fourth, beaten less than two lengths by winner Lucky Score in the Grade 2 Highlander at six furlongs on the grass on July 1; and most recently fifth, just two-and-a-half lengths shy of winner Dream Shake in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup at seven furlongs on the grass on July 23.
He returns to the Woodbine main track, where on April 30 he won against first level, CA$32,000 optional claimers in his first start for Drexler and Schickedanz. Drexler claimed Old Chestnut for CA$32,000 out of a third-place effort at Woodbine on Oct. 23 of last year.
Before going to the turf in the Highlander, Old Chestnut was third, just a length-and-a-half slower than winner Anarchist in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier going six furlongs on the Woodbine main track on May 14.
Old Chestnut is by Speightstown out of Pool Land, by Silver Deputy and he has four wins, two seconds and four thirds in 26 career starts with earnings of US$250,337.
Declan Carroll will ride Old Chestnut from post nine.
Owned by TEC Racing, Souper Watson will try for his second consecutive victory and fourth in his last five starts after winning an upper level, CA$80,000 optional claiming by three quarters of a length going six furlongs on the main track at Woodbine on July 22. He also won two straight CA$50,000 optional claiming races, the first at six furlongs on May 14 then at six-and-a-half furlongs on June 11, before finishing second to First Empire at the CA$80,000 optional claiming level on July 2.
By Ghostzapper out of Unbridled Humor, by Distorted Humor, Souper Watson has won eight of 29 career starts with four seconds and six thirds with earnings of US$326,859.
Set at 6-1 on the morning line, Souper Watson will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura from post 10.
Candy Overload – Michael Burns Photo
Candy Overload is trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Pantofel Stable LLC and exits a second-place finish to Rockcrest in the CA$101,000 Pink Lloyd against Ontario-breds going six furlong on the main track at Woodbine on June 4.
He was also fourth in the aforementioned Jacques Cartier, a length-and-quarter behind Old Chestnut, in second start at Woodbine this year. The 5-year-old gelding started the year on the synthetic main track at Turfway Park with a half-length score in the US$98,000 Forego at six-and-a-half furlongs on Feb. 4 before finishing third in the US$93,000 Big Daddy at six furlongs on March 11.
Candy Overload has run first or second in 10 of 16 starts at Woodbine and has won five with six seconds and two thirds from 20 starts overall. An earner of US$356,976, Candy Overload is by Reload out of Mini Candy, by Candy Ride (Arg).
Casse has given the riding assignment on Candy Overload to Sahin Civaci and they have drawn post one.
The remainder of the field for the Bold Venture includes Flag of Honour (Aus) with Ryan Munger named to ride, Country Final and pilot Juan Crawford, Jose Luis Campos is set to ride Last American Exit, Patches O’Houlihan and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, Secret Reserve with Eswan Flores up, Border Town and Rafael Hernandez in the saddle and Luis Contreras is named on Told It All.
