Michael's Bad Boy Looks Good in Steady Growth Stakes

Saturday June 6th at Woodbine Racetrack would see an impressive effort by Nick Gonzalez trained Michael's Bad Boy, as he would wire the small field of five horses in the $125,000 event.

Race four on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Woodbine, brought fans a glimpse of perfection, as Michael's Bad Boy would make easy work of his competitors in the mile and one-sixteenth Steady Growth Stakes. Right from the get-go the Gonzalez trainee, with jockey Eurico Da Silva aboard, took to the lead and set a reserved pace. After a first quarter in :24.10 Michael's Bad Boy would let the post time favorite, Dancer's Bajan, creep up on his outside along the backstretch, but once the son of Wonneberg saw his rival, he and Da Silva would begin to start running after the half-mile pole and try to distance themselves from Dancer's Bajan and Somarvelous and Yummy With Butter, who were just off the pace. By the top of the second turn, Da Silva would have his horse in a comfortable lead under a hand ride, while Husbands, aboard Dancer's Bajan, would begin to make his bid about mid-turn. It would be all for not, as Michael's Bad Boy would come to the head of the stretch in front by roughly three lengths and it was a couple of taps at the eighth-pole by Da Silva and he and his "Bad Boy" were gone, winning the 13th running of the Steady Growth by five and a half lengths in a final time of 1:43.53. Dancer's Bajan would relinquish his hold of second down the stretch to a hard ridden Yummy With Butter, only to regain the place position, nosing out his foe just before the wire.

Da Silva would reflect on the easy win, "This horse was relaxed and, with him, you can stalk or go to the lead. He went so easy on the lead and when I asked him he just continued running a beautiful race. This horse is in great shape."

For full results to the 13th running of the Steady Growth Stakes click here: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/WO060609CAN4.pdf