Toronto, ON – Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Champs Elysees charged down the middle of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch to nail Jukebox Jury near the wire and win a thrilling renewal of the Grade 1, $2 million Pattison Canadian International, Saturday at Woodbine.

With jockey Garrett Gomez riding furiously on the six-year-old son of Danehill-Hasili, Champs Elysees, who had been placed in seventh throughout the mile and one-half classic, came flying on the far outside and was able to get up in the final jumps for a half-length score.

It was Juddmonte’s third win in Canada’s richest horse race, after taking the 1990 edition with French Glory and the 1994 renewal with stakes record-holder Raintrap in 1994.  But it was the first win for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and Gomez.

Immediately after the race, Garrett O’Rourke, Juddmonte Farms manager in Lexington, Kentucky, confirmed that Champs Elysees will be retired to their stud, Banstead Manor in England, rather than go on to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, November 7 at Santa Anita, which today’s victory offered, as a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ race.

Defending champion Marsh Side was immediately hustled to the front by jockey Javier Castellano in this 72nd edition (52nd since it became a turf race in 1958) of the International, taking the field of eight through leisurely fractions of :26.02, :51.35 and 1:15.76 over the ‘firm’ going. He was still galloping along on the lead after the mile was reached in 1:39.74.  But, with two furlongs remaining, after a mile and one-quarter time of 2:04.08, Marsh Side began to fade slightly after being challenged.

Irish-bred Jukebox Jury, the only three-year-old in the race, took dead aim on the leader, while being chased himself by Buccellati in mid-stretch. Jukebox Jury and jockey Royston Ffrench got to the front and opened up a length, but could not fend off the late burst by Champs Elysees, who became the seventh British-bred to win the race and the first since the venerable Collier Hill in 2006.  Buccellati wound up third, with Marsh Side fourth.

“As soon as we headed for the backside, they all started quickening a little bit,” said Gomez. “Champs Elysees quickened for a minute, and I thought, ‘Let them go.’ I’ll just sit in here and wait on him, give him some confidence and see what happens.

“I just try to ride him with all the confidence in the world. He is probably one of the most talented horses I have seen. But he finds ways to get himself beaten.  He seems to never end up in the winner’s circle on the big days.  I am glad to see him get a big one.”

Champs Elysees was also making the Pattison his first win in seven starts this year.  However, he’d come into the race off a troubled journey in the Northern Dancer here on September 20.  Gomez, who said afterwards he thought he would have won the race, had to check his horse on the rail in mid-stretch after being herded by Marsh Side and Quijano. Ultimately, Marsh Side was disqualified and placed fourth, Champs Elysees was moved to third, Quijano to second and Just as Well to the top spot.  All four renewed their rivalry in the Pattison on Saturday.

With earnings of over $1.7 million coming into the Pattison, Champs Elysees pocketed another $1.2 million for the win. Last year, he won three of nine starts, including the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup and had finished third to Marsh Side in the Pattison.

“It makes it all the sweeter (that his last start is a win),” said O’Rourke.  “And to go out on such a huge win like this, is obviously a huge boost to his stallion career as well.  He deserves it. He has been a tremendous servant. He is very game, he is very talented.”

Champs Elysees, who is a full brother to Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winners Banks Hill and Intercontinental, became the 21st favourite to win the International since 1958, but the first since Sulamani in 2004.

The lukewarm 5-2 choice returned $7.20, $4 and $3, combining with Jukebox Jury ($5.40, $3.20) for a $38.60 (1-7) exactor.  A 1-7-6 (Buccellati, $5.10) triactor fashioned a $245.30 payoff, while a $1 Superfecta [1-7-6-5 (Marsh Side)] was worth only $436.

 

Field Commission earns stripes in Nearctic

Field Commission, ridden by Julien Leparoux, unleashed his trademark stretch kick Saturday at Woodbine, impressively capturing the $500,000 Nearctic Stakes on Pattison Canadian International Day.

At the finish of the six furlong, turf, Grade 2 event, which was one of three Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ races, Field Commission, who had been angled off the rail in mid-stretch for what turned into a cavalry charge the last eighth of a mile, had pulled clear by one and one-half lengths, with 21-1 longshot Bogue Chitto second and favoured Jungle Wave third.  The final time over a ‘firm’ E.P. Taylor Turf Course was 1:09.23.

The early fractions in the Nearctic were set by Silver Z, who blistered through an opening quarter in 22:45 while being chased by Chamberlain Bridge and 2007 Nearctic winner Heros Reward.   But by the time the

leaders had reached the half-mile pole in 45.84, the field was spread out across the turf course, as the long stretch battle began.

Jungle Wave, out in the middle of the track, briefly poked his head in front of a host of runners, but a patient Leparoux had now eased Field Commission to the outside, found a seam and burst through in the final sixteenth for the win.

Co-owned (along with Ed Seltzer) and trained by Dan Vella, Field Commission earlier in the year had scored in the seven furlong Vigil Stakes over Woodbine’s Polytrack, and had twice been second in two turf stakes, to Smart Enough in the Highlander in June and to Jungle Wave in the Play The King in August.

The four-year-old son of Service Stripe had come into the Nearctic off a sixth place finish to Ventura in last month’s Woodbine Mile, but only four and one-half lengths in arrears.

“The trainer told me to wait on the rail and be patient,” said Leparoux.  “I think he deserves it (to go on to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint). We were in a very good position.  He was very relaxed on the rail.  I was able to get out and he finished well.  He’s a nice horse.  He ran very big today.”

“It (the Woodbine Mile) probably wasn’t his best race of all time,” said Vella, who was celebrating his fourth Nearctic win, after victories by Dargai in 1990, King Ruckus in 1994 and Wild Zone in 1995. “Going a little shorter, he seems to have more of a kick. The one-hole, you don’t really like it when you first get it, but we decided to use it to our advantage, try to save a little ground and rely on the jock to get him out when it was time.”

Field Commission picked up a purse of $345,000 for the win and has now banked over $800,000 in his 18 career starts.

As the 5-1 third choice, Field Commission paid $13.20, $8.70 and $4.70, combining with Bogue Chitto ($18.20, $7.60) for a $273.50 (1-8) exactor. A 1-8-11 (Jungle Wave, $2.80 to show) triactor was worth $976.90, while a $1 Superfecta [1-8-11-6 (Little Nick)] returned $3,186.05.

 

Lahaleeb lights up the board in E.P. Taylor

Irish-bred Lahaleeb, at 44-1, sprung a huge upset in Saturday’s $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, becoming the highest-priced winner of the race in its 54 editions.

The 1 ¼-mile, Grade 1 event was one of three ‘Win and You’re In’ stakes on the 11-race programme, headed by the $2-million Pattison Canadian International.

With the off-the-pace victory, Lahaleeb now earns a position in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 6 at Santa Anita. The three-year-old filly is owned by Mohammed Al Qatami and Khalid Al Mudhaf and trained by Mick Channon.

“We kept it very simple.  We just did exactly what we did at home,” said an elated Channon.  “We didn’t do anything different. We didn’t treat her with anything. She came very fresh. If you’d seen her in the paddock beforehand, she did throw a few bucks and kicks in.  We got it spot on. We can’t believe it, especially for Mohammed Al Qatami and Khalid Al Mudhaf, who are watching in Kuwait.”

“The Breeders’ Cup would be a lovely thing, but, we do think she needs a little bit of a cut in the ground, which is why we came here really. So, we are not to sure really, It’s a question of one race at a time.”

Piloting the chestnut filly was William Buick, who later rode Buccellati to a third-place finish in the Pattison Canadian International.

Buick kept his charge relaxed and out of trouble in the early going, a Roses ‘n’ Wine took the eight-horse field through a first quarter in :26.21 and a half-mile in 50.50 over the ‘firm’ course.

Lahaleeb, who travelled the distance in 2:02.89, finished one and three-quarter lengths in front of slight 2-1 favourite Rainbow View. Princess Haya finished two and one-quarter lengths further back in third.

“It’s my first Group 1(win), so it’s very special,” said Buick, who found his horse clear running down the long stretch.  “She had to step over what she’s done.  She’d had a long year back home but she was in top form. I rode her on this track only two days ago, and I knew she was in great form.”

Lahaleeb, who earned $600,000 for the victory, is a three-year-old daughter of Redback. She is now a five-time winner in 16 starts, including her first Grade 1 win today.  Earlier this year, she’d finished a gallant second in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh.

Despite that, she paid $90.70, $32.90 and $12.80, combining with Rainbow View ($3.70, $2.60) for a $310 (3-2) exactor. A 3-2-5 (Princess Haya, $4.60) triactor was worth $1,712.40 while a $1 Superfecta [3-2-5-4] (Eastern Aria) returned a whopping $12,414.

 

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