Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s International Star made a successful voyage from Kentucky to Toronto to capture Sunday’s co-featured Grade 3 $156,300 Grey Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Michael Maker and patiently steered by Rafael Hernandez, the bay son of Fusaichi Pegasus-Parlez arrived at the 1 1/16-miles ‘Poly’ tilt from a troubled second-place run in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga.
Conquest Typhoon, headed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf following his last out victory in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, was sent to post as the 9-5 favourite in the eight-horse field and tracked the speedy Imperial Dream through splits of :24.63 and :49.01.
International Star settled comfortably into sixth position down the backstretch and began picking up horses along the rail through the final turn before tipping out for the stretch run to burst past Conquest Typhoon and Imperial Dream for a 1 1/4-length score.
Conquest Typhoon nosed out a driving Hollywood Critic for second money, 2 1/2-lengths in front of fourth-place Flashaway. International Star covered 1 1/16-miles in 1:45.15.
The Grey Stakes, as part of the Kentucky Derby points system, offered 10 points (10-4-2-1) to the winner.
Hernandez, aboard the bay colt for the first time, rode confidently throughout.
“He broke well and then started laying back into the first turn. We saved ground all the way and turning for home, I decided to take him outside. Once we got clear he was rolling. I had plenty of horse,” said Hernandez.
Purchased for $85,000 at Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic last September, International Star won at first asking with a 5 1/2-length score in grassy maiden allowance at Belmont Park on June 21. Following a second-place run when sprinting on the Belmont main in the Rockville Centre Stakes, International Star then shipped to Saratoga to earn graded stakes placed status in the Grade 2 With Anticipation.
International Star, bred in Kentucky by his owner, banked $90,000 in victory while improving his career record to 2-2-0 from four starts.
He returned $7.90, $3.80 and $3.10, pairing with Conquest Typhoon ($3.40, $2.60 for a $24.40 (1-6) exactor. A 1-6-8 (Hollywood Critic, $4.20 to show) triactor was worth $216.80, while a $1 Superfecta [1-6-8-7 (Flashaway)] came back $350.90.
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