BY BROCK SHERIDAN
APRIL 26, 1998—Coming out of a neck loss to odd-on favorite and fellow Florida-bred Frisk Me Now in the $100,000 Widender Handicap (Grade 3) at Hialeah a month earlier, 5-year-old gelding Sir Bear rebounds to win the Grade 3 Excelsior Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Aqueduct, carrying jockey Enrique Jurado and the co-high weight of 117 pounds.
Breaking from post six in the eight-horse field, Sir Bear raced a length off 16-1 longshot Testimonial with Aaron Gryder up through a leisurely quarter mile in :24.15 then methodically began to apply pressure down the backstretch to get within a half-length through a half mile in :48.60. Testimonial and Sir Bear where heads apart turning for home with K. J.’s Appeal and jockey John Velazquez edging closer in the third before the veteran Florida-bred found his best stride in the run for home.
Sir Bear held off the challenge from K. J.’s Appeal to win by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:49.24 on the fast track. K. J.’s Appeal finished three lengths ahead of Accelerator in third.
Owned by Barbara Smollin, Sir Bear returned $8.10 on a $2 win ticket.
Bred in Florida by Smollin’s husband, veterinarian Dr. A.L. Smollin, Sir Bear finished in the top three in 10 of 11 starts at seven different tracks while earning $727,476 in 1998. He had additional wins in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct, carrying 124 pounds in the Grade 3 Thistledown Breeders’ Cup Handicap, and in the Grade 3 Broward Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Jurado in every start that year except in the Cigar Mile when guided by Jerry Bailey, the only race he finished out of the money came when fourth in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap won by Florida-bred and 1998 Horse of the Year Skip Away.
Sir Bear was trained by Ralph Ziadie at his base at Calder Race Course where Sir Bear had only one start in 1998, finishing second under 124 pounds while giving away eight pounds to winner Unruled in the Listed Spend a Buck Handicap. That was also his only start 1998 outside graded stakes competition.
By Sir Leon out of Spicy Pearl, by Bet Big, Sir Bear retired at age 10 with 19 wins, 12 seconds and 14 thirds in 71 starts, earning $2,538,422. He was a multiple Grade 1 winner, adding to the Cigar Mile, the 1999 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) under 117 pounds as the second high weight and the 2001 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) under the top weight of 116 pounds.
He raced at 15 different tracks during his career from Santa Anita Park to Suffolk Downs and still ranks 22nd on the all-time list of Florida-bred money earners behind Miesque’s Approval ($2,648,879) and ahead of Gate Dancer ($2,501,705).
Return to the April 26 issue of Wire to Wire
