The in-form My Covenant completed the natural hat trick, wiring a field of five to win the inaugural $125,000 Sophomore Stakes Saturday at Woodbine.
Ridden once again by Woodbine’s leading rider Pietro Moran, the gelded son of Souper Speedy broke sharply from post position 3 and led the compact field through an opening quarter mile in :22.71. Z Z’s, one of two fillies in the field, applied pressure from the outside. Meilani, the other filly, raced inside in third, shadowed by Reb Five. Queenston and Plate Trial Stakes’ winner Highwaytothemoon, trailed early in the 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint for three-year-olds.
Around the turn, Moran let My Covenant out a notch as the pair continued to lead handily through a half mile in :45.97. Into the lane, the Audrey Cheung trained My Covenant cut the corner impressively, while opening a two-length lead. Inside the final furlong, Highwaytothemoon made a spirited late rally up the rail, but My Covenant held that one safe to win by 1 length in a final time of 1:16.03.
Highwaytothemoon was 2nd. Meilani was third, just holding the show placing, from Reb Five. The supplemented Z Z’s, who went off as the race favourite, was last.
The Sophomore score was My Covenant’s third on the hop and his third on three different surfaces. On August 21, the dark bay brown gelding teamed with Moran with win a 7-furlong turf allowance at Woodbine. Next out, the tandem dusted a field of ten in the 6½ panel Lake Erie Stakes on dirt at Fort Erie, winning by 7 lengths.
“Yeah, he always breaks sharp and today he broke sharp again and he made the lead, he was comfortable,” said Moran.
Following the Lake Erie romp, Cheung breezed My Covenant twice, including a sharp three panels last Saturday, where clockers caught the sophomore in :36.40, second best of thirteen workers at the distance.
“He’s turned out to be really nice this year,” said Cheung, who took over training duties earlier this summer. He’s just really matured and it’s great to see and he’s a neat little horse.
“He’s actually quite simple to work with,” said an emotional Cheung, who gave a post-race shoutout to her partner Phil Hyde, who is recovering in hospital.
Bred in Ontario by Tucci Holdings and owned by Mad Dog Racing Stables LLC and former National Hockey League player Mike Robitaille, My Covenant (Souper Speedy – Dilly Dally Darby, by Old Forester) was claimed by the owners for $25,000 last fall. The Sophomore win improved My Covenant’s record to 4-2-3 from 10 lifetime starts. The winner was originally 6-1 morning line, went off at 5-1 and paid $12.90 for the win.
More News
