Canadian International contender Johnny Bear coming into his own

At age six, Johnny Bear is coming into his own.

 

In his 33rd career start, local Pattison Canadian International contender Johnny Bear pulled off an upset victory to earn his first graded stakes win in the Northern Dancer last time out on home turf.

 

While the Ontario-bred’s Grade 1 victory was surprising to some, his connections believed in him from the beginning when they doled out more than $278,000 to acquire the 2012 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Yearling Sale topper.

 

 “I really did my research when we purchased him and he was a very expensive purchase, at least for us,” said trainer Ashlee Brnjas, who has developed Johnny Bear into a champion for her father’s Colebrook Farms and their partner Bear Stables Ltd. “The English Channels are not early comers and I know that everybody was all hyped up about him at the very beginning because he was so expensive and he was a yearling sale topper and he was a bit of a disappointment as a two-year-old, but he’s technically not designed to be that and he’s proving that his breeding is exactly what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s long, turf, older.”

 

Johnny Bear has rewarded their patience with a 2017 campaign that includes five of his seven career wins and has lifted his earnings to nearly $600,000.

Bred by Tall Oaks Farm, the chestnut son of English Channel out the stakes-winning mare In Return is a full brother to this year’s Breeders’ Stakes champion Channel Maker.

Legendary jockey Sandy Hawley, who was inducted into the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame in 1986, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1992, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, will be the guest drawmaster for the 2017 Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International.

In 1973, Hawley became the first jockey to win more than 500 races in a single year toppling a mark set by Bill Shoemaker. A winner of 6,450 career races, Hawley is a four-time Queen's Plate champ, and has captured the International on two occasions with Youth (1976) and Golden Act (1979).

The Pattison Canadian International post position draw will be held on Wednesday, October 11 at Woodbine Racetrack and Hawley will be on hand to assist with the festivities. The media event will get underway at noon and will be streamed live at CanadianInternational.com.

The 80th edition of the Pattison Canadian International will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2017 and will be broadcast live on TSN3 from 5:30 p.m. ET.

Bullards Alley – Wayne Spalding and Faron McCubbins – Tim Glyshaw

Can’thelpbelieving (IRE) – Albert Frassetto – H. Graham Motion

Chemical Charge (IRE) – Qatar Racing Limited – Ralph Beckett

Enterprising – Maxis Stable – Michael J. Maker

Erupt (IRE) – Flaxman Holdings, Ltd. – H. Graham Motion

Flamboyant (FR) – David Bienstock and Charles Winner – Patrick Gallagher 

Johnny Bear – Colebrook Farms and Bear Stables, Ltd. – Ashlee Brnjas

Messi (GER) – Gestut Brummerhof – H. Graham Motion

Oscar Nominated – Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey – Michael J. Maker

Postulation – Runnymede Racing LLC – Edward L. Graham