Two springs ago, Chiefswood Stables’ SIMCOE, a dark bay son of Uncle Mo, was looking like a possible King’s Plate contender for his owners and trainer Katerina Vassilieva. After beginning his career in Florida early in 2023, he won two straight races at Woodbine at 1 1/16 miles before he had a troubled trip in the Marine Stakes (G3) when finishing fifth.

The rest of 2023 didn’t go well for Simcoe, as he was 11th in both the Plate Trial and Breeders’ Stakes on turf and fifth in a Tapeta optional claiming race in December. Simcoe did not reappear at the races until this past October when he had mixed results in two distance races.

But on November 24, Vassilieva and the Chiefswood team started Simcoe in a seven-furlong, one-turn Tapeta optional dash and suddenly, the gelding’s second-place finish saw him post a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. He had two more close runner-up finishes at Woodbine and Turfway Park in Florence, flying to two straight wins, each with 100 Beyer Figures.

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