J D Farm’s Florida
homebred Bim Bam established himself among the better 2-year-olds developed at
Calder Race Course for trainer David Brownlee as he chased highly-regarded
Jackson Bend through the Florida Stallion Stakes series and won the Foolish
Pleasure Stakes in between.
Bim Bam then was tried on grass for the first time and won
the $100,000 Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf last out on Nov. 14 over a good
field and will vie for the favorite’s role in Saturday’s $100,000 Dania Beach
Stakes. A full field of 14 3-year-olds will contest the event.
While Bim Bam established his reputation making all seven
of his juvenile starts at Calder, Ray Sainz’ Strike the Tiger made
international racing news winning the Windsor Castle Stakes at the Royal Ascot
meet in England in April as a 33-to-1 longshot for trainer Wesley Ward with
John Velazquez along for the ride.
Ward co-bred Strike the Tiger in California
with Sainz and he won his career debut at Churchill Downs in late April under a
$30,000 claiming tag with no takers. In two starts since the trip to England,
the son of Tiger Ridge won the Chenery Stakes sprinting on turf at Colonial
Downs in Virginia
and finished seventh last out in the Cradle Stakes at River Downs on Sept. 7
after that race was forced off turf.
Completing the field for the Dania Beach are Susan and Jim
Hill’s City Trooper, Michael Bruder’s Guys Reward, Stride Rite Racing’s Bernie
the Maestro, Ammerland Stud’s Nordic Truce, Andrews Racing’s Mr. Vegas, Gary
Aiken’s Lucas Brady, Roman Hill Farm’s Thunder Brew, Michael Sucher’s Our
Champion, Gary and Mary West’s Call Shot, Wachtel Stable’s Raging Wit, Dogwood
Stable’s Trippo and JBs Thoroughbreds’ Hellen’s Choice.
Golden Goose Enterprises is ‘also-eligible’ and entered for
‘main track only’ by trainer John Terranova.
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