Seven-year-old Marsh Side sprinted away from his rivals through the stretch to take Sunday’s $254,900, Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine.
Last year’s Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes winner and the 2008 Pattison Canadian International champion showed his affinity for the E.P. Taylor Turf Course once again, capturing the 1 ¼-mile race by five lengths.
Windward Islands, recent winner of the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes at the Toronto oval, tried in vain to collar Marsh Side, but settled for second. Your Round was third. Spice Route was scratched.
Casual Dude took the field through splits of :27.50 and :53.40, with Marsh Side a comfortable second. Ahead by two lengths at the stretch call, Marsh Side, with Edgar Prado in the irons, opened up at will down the lane.
The running time over ‘soft’ turf was 2:08.99.
Prado figured the son of Gone West, owned by Robert Evans and trained by Neil Drysdale, would be tough to beat. “It looked as though there was not much speed in the race,” said Prado, who gave Marsh Side his first win in four tries in 2010. “All I had to do was help him a little bit out of the gate and then let him do his thing. He’s an old pro and he knows the track. He was having a lot of fun out there.”
Racing manager Patrick Lawley-Wakelin expects Marsh Side to return to Woodbine in the near future. “It’s amazing,” said Lawley-Wakelin. “For some unknown reason, when he gets to Woodbine, he just changes into a different horse. He relaxes. He just loves being here.
“I think there’s no doubt in our mind the horse belongs here. He’ll go back to California and we’ll talk to Neil. I would say the Northern Dancer (September 19, Woodbine Mile day) is definitely on our schedule.”
Marsh Side paid $3.30, $2.20 and $2.10, combining with Windward Islands ($2.60, $2.10) for a $5.70 exactor. Your Round ($3) completed a $17.10 triactor.
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