At Attention Stakes His Claim for Champion Older Male

Four stakes races highlighted the Saturday, October 29 card at Century Mile in Nisku, Alberta. Two-year-olds and older horses competed in the events and upsets were the tale of the afternoon.

AT ATTENTION, a 5-year-old BC-bred by Shanghai Bobby – Unattended by Quality Road, was incredibly game in his Speed to Spare Championship victory. Owned and bred by Dr. Bryan Anderson and Carol Anderson and trained by Barbara Heads, At Attention was 4-to-1 in the $100,000 and coming in from Hastings racecourse where he won the Grade 3 BC Premier’s Stakes on October 8.

Quickly on the lead early in the 1 3/8 mile marathon, At Attention under jockey Antonio Reyes was three wide in an early duel with Boitano and multiple stakes winner Greek Geek. After an opening quarter mile in 23.50 and half a mile in 47.57, At Attention had a head in front of his two rivals while heavily favoured Soy Tapatio tracked the duelers.

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In the stretch run, Soy Tapatio made his move to join At Attention while Greek Geez, hung out wide, stayed in the fray. Soon it was a two-horse battle to the wire with At Attention simply refusing to let Soy Tapatio get an advantage, winning by a neck in 2:02.81.

It was the eighth career win in 27 starts for At Attention and fourth win in 2022 following a winless campaign in 2021. The gelding has earned over $303,000.

At Attention’s big season out west gives him a chance to be considered as a finalist for Champion Older Male in Canada for 2022. The division is in disarray with various winners in graded events. Artie’s Storm won the Grade 2 Eclipse and has placed in three other Grade 3s. Other older male stakes winners in Canada this year include Who’s the Star, Frosted Over and War Bomber.

Fillies and mares raced for a $49,500 purse in the Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Stakes at 1 1/8 miles and favoured Dance Shoes was coming off a big win in the Red Smith, one of four stakes wins for the 4-year-old filly this year. It was We B Three who sped to a clear lead from the start, going quickly in 23.42 and 47.78 for half a mile. Tracking her was 11-to-1 outsider Orange Theory and jockey Renaldo Cumerbatch. Orange Theory had been seven lengths in arrears of Dance Shoes in the Red Smith but was coming off a confidence-building score in a seven furlong claiming race.

When We B Three began to weaken, Dance Shoes made a move to the lead with Plum Blue while Orange Theory continued to track along the inside. Room opened up on the rail in the stretch and Orange Theory charged on through to post the upset win by three-quarters of a length over Plumb Blue who was a length ahead of Dance Shoes. The time was 1:50.67.

Owned by Shelley Brown and trained by Rodney Cone, Orange Theory was bred in Florida by William Sorren and she is a 4-year-old by First Dude – Chippi by Trippi. It was the grey filly’s sixth win in 27 races and she boosted her earnings to over $91,000.

The juveniles raced earlier in the card in the $49,000 Birdcatcher Stakes and Freedom of the City Stakes.

Stakes-winning Cuban Cobra was a heavy 3-to-5 favourite in the Birdcatcher at one mile and that youngster went to the lead out of the gate but was soon joined by It’s a Fact, a 5-to-1 chance under Desmond Bryan. The pair dueled through a half-mile in 47.44 and six furlongs in 1:11.54 and were far ahead of the other four runners. It’s a Fact eventually powered away from Cuban Cobra and won by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:38.61. Cuban Cobra was 1 1/2 lengths ahead of a closing Mudinator.

Owned by Highfield Investment Group, Inc. and trained by Carson Frey, It’s a Fact was coming off his maiden win in an allowance race and he had earlier been third in two sprint stakes. A Kentucky-bred son of The Factor – Zensational Beauty by Zensational, It’s a Fact was a $22,000 2-year-old in training purchase at the Pegasus Sale that sold the horses of the late Glen Todd, who bred the grey gelding.

Bar None Ranches’ homebred 2-year-old filly Monopolize was the longest-priced stakes winner of the day as the daughter of the late Gayego rallied wide to win the Freedom of the City by 1 1/2 lengths under jockey Mauricio Malvaez at 33 to 1. Trained by Ron Grieves, Monopolize was facing five rivals in her second career start after a third-place finish in her six furlong debut on Sept. 23.

Monopolize pressed a slow pace and caught 2-to-5 favourite Big Hug who was later disqualified from second and placed fourth. Monopolize ran the distance in 1:39.64. She is from the Whywhywhy the mare Monomo.

At Attention with Antonio Reyes on board takes the $100,000 Speed To Spare Championship!
The five year old gelding is bred and owned by Bryan and Carol Anderson, and trained by Barbara Heads. Congratulations to all the winning connections! pic.twitter.com/6TAJRR4BTp

— Century Mile (@cntymile) October 30, 2022