It is the toughest challenge of the Canadian Triple Crown at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, one lap around the expansive E.P. Taylor course and it has also yielded more than its fair share of longshot winners.
The Breeders’ Stakes, edition 130, goes Sunday, October 3 at Woodbine on a large card of racing, and Queen’s Plate winner SAFE CONDUCT is scheduled to return to his home country from New York to try and become the first Plate winner to win the Breeders’ since Wando in 2003.
The forecast of a lot of rain, however, could prove to be the biggest hurdle for Wellspring Stables’ fancy colt who has logged three workouts on the grass at Belmont getting ready for the third jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown. As of Friday morning, the projection is for rain beginning Saturday night with an 80 percent chance of rain throughout all of Sunday and through to next week. Trainer Phil Serpe has indicated that Safe Conduct, a son of Bodemeister who won the Plate by a head as the 3-to-1 favourite, might not be terribly fond of less-than-firm turf.
Some of the recent Breeders’ Stakes have yielded some wild results.
Perfect Shower in 2009 hosed the field at 46-to-1 for Charles Fipke and trainer Roger Attfield, becoming the longest-priced winner in Breeders’ history. But the next year, 65-to-1 shot Miami Deco won the Breeders’ for Jim and Susan Hill and trainer Brian Lynch. Miami Deco had never raced on turf and the course was yielding for that 2010 edition.
In 2016, the grey gelding Camp Creek won the Breeders’ at 26-to-1 for trainer Rachel Halden.
And last year, Belichick spoiled the Triple Crown bid of Mighty Heart after the Plate and Prince of Wales winner got caught up in an unfortunate pace battle.
Safe Conduct is one of five guys in the Breeders’ field (race 9 on Sunday, post time 5:38 p.m.) to have won at least one race on the grass. His lone ‘off’ turf race was a Grade 1, the Belmont Derby, and he was rank early and landed eighth. Perhaps the Mitchell Kursner-bred will handle a yielding course against Canadian-breds better. Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride Safe Conduct as Irad Ortiz, who had an impeccable ride on the colt to win the Plate, has other engagements in New York.
Let’s look at the field for the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes:
1 – BRITISH ROYALTY – Re-claimed for $40,000 by Bruce Lunsford and Barbara Minshall on July 24, this English Channel gelding won his career debut on Tapeta a year ago but it wasn’t until he was in for $25,000 claiming this July that he hit the top three again, finishing second in a one mile ‘good’ turf race. He was fourth on turf July 24 and recently eighth against older horses at 10 furlongs on turf and he will have blinkers on.
The king of stakes victories at Woodbine, Patrick Husbands, rides the Richard Lister-bred.
2 – RIPTIDE ROCK has won on the grass at six furlongs for Stronach Stables and trainer Sid Attard. This son of Point of Entry came off a six-furlong Tapeta win to be second in the Plate, flying late to miss by a head as the speed began to fold. Riptide Rock was recently third to War Bomber and fellow Breeders’ entrant Artie’s Storm in the Toronto Cup at one mile on turf.
3 – KEEP GRINDING keeps doing just that and he completes his Triple Crown in the Breeders’. Josh Attard’s handy Tizway colt was fifth in the Plate and third in the Prince of Wales and he was fourth in his lone turf try, a sprint in the fall of 2020. The hard-trying fellow is trained by Tino Attard whose son Kevin has three entered in the Breeders’. The distance of the Breeders’ figures to be Keep Grinding’s biggest hurdle.
4 – SAFE CONDUCT – A confirmed grass horse who received an expert ride by Irad Ortiz to land the Plate, this colt likes to run close to the pace and he has good cruising speed. Interestingly, the colt’s female family includes champion sprinters Fatal Bullet and Pink Lloyd.
5 – H C HOLIDAY – Two troubled trips in the Plate and Prince of Wales cost this son of Breeders’ Stakes winner Ami’s Holiday closer finishes in those two races. Ivan Dalos’ homebred was third in the Plate after trying to rally inside in the big field and he was delayed. In the Prince of Wales, the late runner again tried a rail rally on the turn but he was steadied briefly. Since his dad won this race and his dam’s sire Henrythenavigator was a top turf horse, this colt is very much a contender.
6 – ARTIE’S STORM – Paul Buttigieg put up $12,500 to supplement this son of the late We Miss Artie to the Breeders’. The dark bay gelding and jockey David Moran won a grass race at 1 1/16 miles in July and were second in the Greenwood Stakes and then second in the one-mile Toronto Cup after a very troubled trip. The distance is a bit of a question but he may have been best in the Toronto Cup.
7 – BREAKING ALONE – Claimed for $35,000 in February from a turf win at Gulfstream by Malta Manors of Shirley and Tony Camilleri, this son of Lea came off the layoff with a super outing against older horses, finishing second with a wide rally at 1 1/16 miles. The blinkers come off and William Armata trains. He is a fresh and interesting runner.
8 – HADDASSAH – The Prince of Wales winner took to the dirt like a champ and was very game to out-duel Harlan Estate and give breeders Al and Bill Ulwelling their biggest win in Canada. This guy is by a noted grass sire in Air Force Blue and he was third in a key turf race behind subsequent Woodbine Mile winner Town Cruise in his 2021 opener.
9 – COLLECTIVE FORCE – Chiefswood Stables’ homebred Tiznow colt parlayed a dreadful trip on July 31 in a maiden race into his first win last time at 1 1/4 miles on Tapeta. He gets Lasix for this race. His lone turf outing came in his debut when he was ninth June 13 but his dam won on turf and his female family is European. He should love the distance.
10 – GO TAKE CHARGE – He is a maiden who was fifth in a turf sprint in June, second in a maiden race on Tapeta and recently 12th in the Plate.
11 – EXECUTIVE GIANT – This maiden by Giant Gizmo ran his best race when he discovered grass on July 23, finishing second in a $40,000 maiden claiming. He was recently fifth in a seven-furlong turf maiden race for owner Paul Mouttet.
12 – HARLAN ESTATE – The fourth Kevin Attard guy was seventh in the Plate but battled Hadassah all the way to the finish in the Wales, missing by half a length. Before coming to Canada, Harlan Estate, by Kanthoaros, raced exclusively on grass and won his maiden at one mile at Santa Anita. He is a steady guy, although the distance is a question.
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