WAR BOMBER certainly had the credentials to be a talented racehorse. The Irish-bred by War Front – Sun Shower by Indian Ridge, bred by Coolmore is a full brother to Group 1 winner Lancaster Bomber, a half-brother to Group 1 winner Excelebration, as well as Group 3 winner Mull of Killough. Withdrawn from the 2019 Ocala March Two-Year-Old Sale, the colt debuted for Gary barber and ERJ Racing in March of this year at Gulfstream but finished 10th. After a short layoff he was seventh in a Woodbine maiden race and then won his maiden for $40,000 claiming on July 24. The Mark Casse trainee then popped up for $25,000 claiming on Aug. 21 and was scooped up by Schickedanz and McKnight who watched him win.
“We liked his pedigree very much,” said McKnight in a pre-race interview with Woodbine. “He was gelded not too long ago and I thought maybe he was a colt that the gelding helped. I thought maybe he was an improving sort. This [entering in the Toronto Cup] is sort of like a Hail Mary, if it works, it works, if it doesn’t, nothing ventured, nothing lost.”
On Sunday, September 12, War Bomber flew past champion Gretzky the Great and took the $134,800 Toronto Cup at one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf course at odds of 19-to-1.
Leaving from post three, War Bomber, a three-year-old gelded son of War Front, was positioned in fourth along the rail by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, as the trio of Azzurro, Barnegat Light and 9-5 choice Gretzky the Great tussled over the early lead, with Azzurro eventually striking front, then taking his eight rivals through an opening quarter-mile timed in :23.69.
The 49-1 outsider continued to set the pace through a half in :46.74, with Barnegat Light second, Gretzky the Great in third, and War Bomber nestled in fourth, waiting for his cue from Bridgmohan.
As the field rounded the turn for home, a pair of contending closers, Riptide Rock, second in the Queen’s Plate, and the ultra-consistent Artie’s Storm, began to pick up momentum, while Bridgmohan found a seam and roused War Bomber to the front.
Arriving at the Toronto Cup on a two-race win streak, War Bomber easily rebuffed all challengers, going on to record a two-length triumph in a time of 1:34.14 over firm ground. Artie’s Storm was a troubled second, Riptide Rock, who was second in the Queen’s Plate, was third and Gretzky the Great finished fourth.
“I had a beautiful trip,” said Bridgmohan. “There was a little bit of speed in there and I opted to follow, obviously, at the end, try to find him clear daylight. Once I did and I pointed him for a hole, he just went. He’s a pretty talented horse and when he took off, he really took off. I knew there would have to be a horse flying to come and catch him.”
More Sunday:
Skygaze, full of run late under rider Patrick Husbands, dashed away from her rivals with ease down the stretch en route to a three-length win in Sunday’s $100,000 Belle Mahone Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.
Trained by Mark Casse, who won both Woodbine stakes on Saturday, Skygaze, a four-year-old daughter of American Pharoah-Skyscape, broke alertly in the Belle Mahone and sat second to pacesetter Fate Factor, who led the way through the opening quarter timed in :24.79.
Skygaze continued to track Fate Factor through a half in :48.73, but by the three-quarters mark, the positions were reversed.
It was game over mid-way down the lane as Skygaze romped to her fifth victory from 11 career starts for owner Tracy Farmer.
Crystal Glacier, also a Casse trainee, was second, a neck ahead of No Mo Lady. Art of Almost, another Casse charge, was fourth. Final time for the race was 1:42.72.
“By the three-quarter pole, I was loaded,” said Husbands. “She was the best today.”
It was the first stakes win for Skygaze, who was bred by Normandy Farm LLC. She was first but disqualified and placed third in the 2019 edition of the Grade 3 Mazarine and third in the Grade 3 Trillium on June 26, her last start before the Belle Mahone.
The Woodbine Turf Endurance Series continued with a 1 ½-mile Inner Turf race. Taos (FR), at 4-1, took the second leg for Soli Mehta and partner and trainer Kevin Attard. The French-bred was winning for the first time in North America (his last win was in France in May 2019) and this was hisfifth race for Attard. Justin Stein rode the 5-year-old bay gelding who won by a nose over Pleasecallmeback. The series concludes with a 1 ¾-mile marathon on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 3.
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