Two big weekends of grass racing are coming up at Woodbine beginning with the 132nd BREEDERS’ STAKES, the third jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown on October 1. The following Sunday is the Canadian International (G1), E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) and Nearctic Stakes (G2), all on the grass.
One of 2023’s top horses, King’s Plate winner PARAMOUNT PRINCE, is expected to try the 1 1/2 miles on the grass and among his challengers will be his stablemate, the filly ELYSIAN FIELD, who was second in the Plate.
Paramount Prince ran a noble race in the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie despite being on a very sloppy track and going fairly quickly over the fast surface. Trainer Mark Casse told Canadian Thoroughbred on Monday that the two sophomores are “doing great.”
Paramount Prince’s sire, Society’s Chairman, was a graded stakes winner on the grass and is a solid turf sire. His dam Platinum Steel raced just once on turf and was unplaced. Elysian Field has run well on grass and is bred for the surface on both sides of her pedigree.
Some of the other probable Breeders’ Stakes starters include TOUCH’N RIDE, who will try and emulate his half-brother Neepawa, who won the 2018 Breeders’. A Chiefswood Stable homebred by Candy Ride (Arg)) – Niigon’s Touch by Niigon, Touch’n Ride was a troubled fifth in the King’s Plate. Trained by Layne Giliforte, Touch’n Ride had a sizzling turf workout on Sept. 3 of 57.40 for 5 furlongs.
BRITISH ARTILLERY is a brother to 2021 Breeders’ Stakes winner British Royalty.
The 2022 Champion two-year-old PHILIP MY DEAR should be happy to get back to grass racing after his ninth place finish in the Plate. KAUKOKAIPUU, second in the ‘Wales,’ had a grass workout at 5 furlongs on Sept. 24, 1:00.60 And the filly WICKENHEISER, second in the Wonder Where, is also a contender.
Trainer ROGER ATTFIELD has nine Breeders’ wins and could go for a 10th with his own Twowaycrossing.
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