Canadian horse racing’s final classic of the season, the prestigious Breeders’ Stakes worth $400,000 and run at 1 1/2 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, is set for this weekend. The 134th edition of the race, the final jewel of Canada’s Triple Crown, is set for Sunday, September 29 and currently, Prince of Wales Stakes winner VITALITY (Street Boss) and Wonder Where Stakes winner HURRICANE CLAIR (Silent Name (Jpn)), a filly, are the top contenders.
King’s Plate winner, the filly CAITLINHERGRTNESS, not currently nominated to the Breeders’, had her second workout since her big win, sizzling four furlongs on the Tapeta last Friday in 47.60.
Vitality, a fast-improving three-year-old from Stronach Stables, went from a maiden win as a new gelding on July 19 to sixth in the King’s Plate and then the Wales win in his dirt surface debut. The chestnut, trained by Harold Ladouceur, raced once on turf last year, a one-turn, one mile maiden race and he had some closing power. He is strongly bred for grass as his third dam is Eclipse Award turf champion Perfect Sting.
Hurricane Clair went from an optional claiming/allowance win on the inner turf in June to a third in the Woodbine Oaks, second in the Bison City and then a gritty score in the Wonder Where. The Martin Drexler-trained filly defeated front runner Stormcast, the Bison City winner who is also nominated to the Breeders’.
MY BOY PRINCE, the Plate Trial winner who was a brave second in the Plate to the filly Caitlinhergrtness, just finished sixth in the Woodbine Mile (G1) on turf against older horses with a 93 Beyer Figure Sept. 14. He is a stakes winner and Grade 1 placed on turf.
ROSCAR, a homebred for Chiefswood Stable, is an improving gelding for trainer Rachel Halden, who won the 2016 Breeders’ with Camp Creek. Roscar was recently third against older horses in a 1 1/4 mile turf allowance/optional claiming marathon.
134th Breeders’ Stakes Nominations
HURRICANE CLAIR (filly) D. Rowbotham and Partners 3 b.f.3 by Silent Name (JPN) (Sunday Silence) – Hurricane Lorraine (Weather Warning) Martin Drexler
JOKESTAR A and B Ulwelling b.g.3 by Practical Joke (Into Mischief) – Starmaline(Star Guitar) Kevin Attard
KING ROSSO A. and B. Ulwelling ch.g.3 by Vino Rosso (Curlin) – Catch the Fire (Kitten’s Joy) Kevin Attard
MYBOYPRINCE Gary Barber gr/ro.c.3 by Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) – Hopping Not Hoping (Silent Name (JPN)) Mark Casse
PASSIONED Archer Racing LLC b.g.3 by Paynter (Awesome Again) – Certainly Special (Distorted Humor) Justin Nixon
ROSCAR Chiefswood Stables Limited b.g.3 by Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy) – Rosemere (Court Vision)
STORMCAST Kem Racing Stable dk b/.f.3 by Mitole (Eskendereya) – Scolara (Quiet American) Mark Casse
THOR’S CAUSE Joe Pignatelli, Spirit’s Path Management Inc.. and Alan J. McMullen b.g.3 by Brody’s Cause (Giant’s Causeway) – Expressly Yours (Big Brown) Krista Cole
VITALITY Stronach Stables ch.g.3 by Street Boss (Street Cry (IRE)) – Belissimo (Awesome Again) H Ladouceur
WYOMING BILL ch.c.3 by Curlin (Smart Strike) – Dixie Chicken(Rahy) Sean & Dorothy Fitzhenry Catherine Day Phillips
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