Ontario-bred LUCKY SCORE and jockey Sahin Civaci reeled in the tired pacesetters to win the Grade 2 Highlander stakes at 6 furlongs on the grass on the big Canada Day card at Woodbine. Worth $200,000, the Highlander lured several invaders including graded stakes winner One Timer and Kentucky-based stakes winner Oceanic.
One Timer was three wide in a hot pace battle with Outlaw Kid and Cadamosto while Lucky Score, who was pinched back a bit at the start, rode the rail in the back. One Timer led to mid-stretch and then had closers to his inside and outside. Oceanic, who was in the back of the field with Lucky Score, moved to a short lead in late stretch but Civaci and Lucky Score never gave up and grabbed the win in the final jumps.
The time of 1:07.86 (100 Beyer Figure according to Daily Racing Form) was just a second off the course record. Lucky Score, who was a 14-to-1 outsider, was one of three graded stakes winners on the day for trainer Mark Casse and two for Civaci. Lucky Score, a son of Lookin at Lucky – Miss Matzo by Royal Academy, raced for Mary Biamonte and trainer Ralph Biamonte, Domenic Liscio and Danny Iandoli at the outset of his career. A $35,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2-year-old in Training in June 2020, the gelding was then transferred to trainer William Armata late in 2021. The gelding won the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes last September.
Following his third-place finish in the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) in November, Lucky Score was sold to Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Pantofel Stable. The five-year-old was second in his season debut on turf on June 4.
Bred by James and Janeane Everatt and Arike Everatt Meeuse, Lucky Score has six wins in 15 races and earnings of over $430,000.
Miss Matzo, who was unplaced in one start, is the dam of seven other winners including stakes winner Miss Matzoball.
Nassau Stakes in the rain
The heavens opened up before the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at one mile on the turf for four-year-olds and up, fillies and mares. A lot of rain came down in a short time and when the gals stepped onto the track, the grass course was quite squishy.
As with the other big races on the card, there were visitors from the US in the Nassau but it was Canada’s darling MOIRA, Horse of the Year in 2022, who attracted all the attention as she was moving back to grass. It was the second start of the year for Moira, who was a good second in the Belle Mahone Stakes in her return.
Moira and jockey Kazushi Kimura had a good spot tucked in behind the pace early in the Nassau. The fractions were not fast, although the turf was certainly on the yielding side.
Into the stretch, Moira came between gals with strong strides but the older FEV ROVER (IRE) who trailed and was blocked behind a wall of horses under Patrick Husbands into the stretch, got free and flew past. Moira was gallant in her second-place finish and surely will be ready to peak when she gets more distance.
Fev Rover (seemingly named for a rugby team), winner of the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes last year, is owned by Tracy Farmer. Casse got the mare to train last summer when she arrived from England. The daughter of Gutaifan (Ire) has four wins in 15 races and earnings over $578,000.
Sikuras celebrate Tyson
Lightly raced TYSON (Tapit – Honouring by Smart Strike) has blossomed nicely for trainer Josie Carroll as the light grey colt won the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes on July 1 in just his 4th career start.
Owned and bred by John Sikura, Jr.’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Holdings, Inc. and Stretch Run Ventures in Kentucky, Tyson was bought back as a yearling for $250,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. He won his career debut in March 2022 for trainer Todd Pletcher but went to the sidelines and was not seen again until May 6 of this year when he won an allowance/optional claiming race. He was then third behind stablemate Treason in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes but bested that buddy in the Dominion Day. Rafael Hernandez rode Tyson, who ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.32 in the pouring rain, good for a 101 Beyer Figure.
Sikura was joined by his mother Ann and brother Glenn in the winner’s circle.
Tyson’s dam Honouring is a winning half-sister to Grade 1 winner Streaming and unraced Modeling, who produced this year’s Belmont Stakes (G1) winner ARCANGELO.
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