Toronto, ON – A star-stacked group, including two-time Canadian champion True Metropolitan and a pair of talented Sid Attard trainees, has been assembled for the highly-anticipated first grass event of the Woodbine meet, the Connaught Cup Prep, slated for Saturday, May 15. The seven-furlong event, worth $91,100, for four-year-olds and upward, is the fourth race on the 10-race programme. The Grade 3, $150,000 Connaught Cup Stakes is set for Sunday, May 30.
The 10-horse field on the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course includes a slew of stakes winners, including Jungle Wave, Sand Cove, El Brujo and Utterly Cool.
Trainer Sid Attard, who sends out the pair of Jungle Wave and Utterly Cool, is hoping to continue his long-standing success on the turf. “This is the best turf course in the world,” said Attard, who was third overall in turf wins in 2009 at Woodbine, connecting nine times in 48 attempts. “I’ve been to many racetracks all over the place, but there is nothing like this one. It’s beautiful. We are so lucky at Woodbine to have this course. We are spoiled.” Attard has 83 wins on the E.P. Taylor Turf since 2000, fifth-best overall. “I’ve been dying to get my horses on the grass,” said Attard. “They are both nice horses. Utterly Cool won the Cup & Saucer by over 10 lengths (10 ¼) last year and Jungle Wave has four wins on the turf, including the win in the Play the King Stakes last year. I can’t wait to see them run.”
Woodbine jockeys are also excited about the return to the lawn. “Just like everyone, I’m really looking forward to the start of turf racing,” said Jim McAleney, who will pilot True Metropolitan, Canada’s champion older horse in 2006 and 2007. “It adds another dimension to the racing season and provides more diversity for horsemen and racing fans. People will get to see new horses that are good quality competitors.”
Malcolm Pierce, one of Canada’s premier turf conditioners, concurs. “I always look forward to this time of year,” said Pierce. “The wide turns give you plenty of opportunity to map out a good trip. Even when things get bottled up, you still have time to get out and make a solid run down the lane. I think the fans appreciate turf racing, too. It’s great to get that close to the action.”
There is another grass race slated for Saturday. Twelve horses (Lady’s First Cat is a main track only entrant) are set to contest seven furlongs in the afternoon’s eighth race.
Each year, the E.P. Taylor Turf continues to attract the world’s top turf horses. Highlighting this year’s turf stakes schedule are the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, third jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown Series (August 15), the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile (September 19), the Grade 1, $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf (September 19), the Grade 1, $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes (October 16), the Grade 1, $2 million Pattison Canadian International (October 16) and the Grade 1, $500,000 Nearctic Stakes (October 16).
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