Toronto, ON – True Metropolitan was truly tenacious in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine.
Appearing as though he would be inhaled by Shadwell Stable invader Mustanfar at the top of the stretch, the Terry Jordan trainee repelled the game challenger and won the 1 1/4-mile event by a half-length in a track record time of 2:04.20.
The 6-5 favorite Palladio closed late to finish third.
Last year’s champion older male in Canada, True Metropolitan broke alertly and went straight to the front. Prompted by longshot Getaway Candidate, he carved out fractions of :47.52 and 1:12.12.
Jordan, who has now won five Woodbine races in 2007, said the plan wasn’t necessarily to lead from gate to wire. “We thought we would let the horse run his own race,” said Jordan. “We figured we had done enough with him where he would be a little easier to handle. If you don’t train him a lot, he gets pretty excited and tries to runaway.”
The Dominion Day was the Bob Cheema-owned gelding’s 12th career victory and second Woodbine stakes tally. The $120,000 winner’s share of the purse elevated True Metropolitan’s career earnings to $679,295.
Jockey Todd Kabel, who partnered the five-year-old son of Proud and True during his score in last year’s Woodbine Slots Cup Stakes, said his mount was determined to win.
“He showed so much grit through the lane,” said Kabel. “That horse (Mustanfar) came to him a couple of times and he just kept going. He wasn’t letting anyone by him. The only way he was going to get caught is if somebody caught him off guard.”
True Metropolitan returned $4.80, $3.10 and $2.20, combining with Mustanfar ($4.10, $2.90) to complete an exactor worth $14.70. Palladio ($2.10) rounded out a $30.20 triactor.
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