BY BROCK SHERIDAN
A trio of graded stakes-winning Florida-breds in Midnight Stroll, Loyalty and Our Flash Drive will carry the Sunshine State flag in Canada Saturday when they go to the post in the Grade 2 Bessarabian at Woodbine. A full field of 14 fillies and mares will race at seven furlongs on the synthetic main track at the Toronto oval in pursuit of the winner’s share of the CA$175,000 purse.
Midnight Stoll is the 3-1 morning line favorite and makes her first start at Woodbine for trainer John Terranova and Morplay Racing LLC, Medallion Racing, Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Steven Schoenfeld.
The 4-year-old filly exits a second-place finish to Accomplished Girl in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters going six-and-a-half furlongs on the all-weather main track in Erie, Pa., and looks for her first win since taking a second-level, $62,500 optional claiming going seven furlongs three starts back at Belmont Park on June 15. She was also fourth, beaten just two lengths by winner Sixtythreecaliber, in a third-level, $80,000 optional claiming at Saratoga going a mile on June 19 after leading until mid-stretch.
Midnight Stroll is by Not This Time out of Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute and was bred in Florida by Dr. Carolin Von Rosenbuerg DVM. She has four wins, a second and two thirds with earnings of $446,780.
She is a two-time graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales having sold for $225,000 to Tonja Terranova at the 2020 October Yearling Sale where she was consigned by Abbie Road Farm. She did not meet her reserve when consigned by Sue Vacek earlier that year in the OBS Winter Mixed Sale in January.
Midnight Stroll will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy from post 13.
Live Oak Plantation homebred Our Flash Drive is the defending champion in the Bessarabian having won last year’s edition by five-and-three-quarters lengths ahead of Hazelbrook in second with Loyalty finishing third for owner Antony Beck’s Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods.
That was the first of three consecutive graded-stakes victories at Woodbine for the Mark Casse-trained Our Flash Drive, who won the Grade 3 Whimsical going six furlongs on May 13 and the Grade 2 Royal North sprinting six-and-a-half furlongs on the turf on June 3.
The daughter of Ghostzapper will look to return to that winning form after a three-race losing streak following the Royal North, most recently when seventh in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion going six furlongs on Oct. 14 at Woodbine.
The Bessarabian will be a rematch for several Ontario Fashion runners including winner Spun Glass, second-place finisher Awesome Treat, Loyalty, who came in third; sixth-place finisher Ready to Venture and Artie’s Princess, who finished just behind Our Flash Drive in eighth.
Our Flash Drive looks to improve on her career record of seven wins, six of which have come at Woodbine, with three seconds and a third with earnings of $640,034. The 5-year-old mare is by Ghostzapper out of Dynamotor, by Dynaformer and is listed at 8-1 on the morning line.
Patrick Husbands will ride Our Flash Drive from post two.
Loyalty has a stellar record at Woodbine with five wins in seven starts with two thirds including a victory in the Grade 3 Hendrie at six-and-a-half furlongs on July 22. Prior to the Ontario Fashion, she was fourth in the aforementioned Presque Isle Downs Masters.
Loyalty is by Hard Spun out of Slew’s Quality, by Elusive Quality and was bred in the Sunshine State by Thomas and Lori Fackler’s Best A Luck Farm LLC and Godolphin LLC.
She has six wins in 10 starts with two thirds while banking $322,554 and will have Kazushi Kimura in the saddle when she starts from post seven.
The remainder of the Bessarabian field includes Spun Glass with jockey Luis Contreras, Ready to Venture and rider Ruben Hernandez, Baby No Worries will be ridden by Willie Martinez, Ryan Munger has the mount on Dolce Sopresa, Leo Salles will ride Time for an Angel, Owen’s Tour Guide has Sofia Vibes up, Miss Dracarys will tote Sahin Civaci, Artie’s Princess with jockey Juan Crawford, Collecting Flatter will carry Daisuke Fukumoto, Awesome Treat and pilot Jose Campos and Justin Stein will ride Love to Shop.
