Melmich Looks to Defend his Title in Season-closing Valedictory

The final race card of the 2016 Woodbine thoroughbred racing season was drawn Thursday afternoon, signaling the end of the eight-month campaign, which kicked off on April 9.

Sunday’s closing day, which has a first-race post time of 1:00 p.m., features 151 horses, plus four also-eligible runners, spread over a 14-race card.

The bumper card will feature two Pick 4 sequences, both guaranteed at $100,000, with the first starting in Race 4 and the late edition kicking off in Race 11. There is also a $50,000 guaranteed Pick-5 starting in Race 2. The 14th, and final, race of the 2016 meet boasts a mandatory payout in the JackPotHi5 which currently sports a carryover of $263,782.67.

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Eurico Rosa da Silva, with 194 wins heading into Friday’s card (and 30 mounts remaining through Sunday), holds a 55-win lead over Luis Contreras (who has 24 mounts remaining Friday through Sunday) and has already retained his crown as leading rider. Da Silva is likely to surpass his leading total of 201 wins from a year ago. Mickey Walls classic record of 221 wins should live to see another year.

Mark Casse leads all trainers with a decisive 95 wins, well clear of Norm McKnight who has won 57 races this meet.

Da Silva will have the call on Melmich for trainer Kevin Attard in Sunday’s 1 3/4-mile Valedictory for older horses. Last year, Melmich made the grade in the Valedictory with a dominating 10 1/4-length score stopping the clock in a track record 2:55.81.

“We’re hoping for another big effort like that,” said Attard. “That was a big performance. It was visually impressive and hopefully he can come up with the same type of race on Sunday.”

Melmich heads a field of seven in the spotlight event on the meet’s curtain-closing afternoon. It goes as race 9, and features graded stakes winner Aldous Snow and the resurgent Decision Day.

Claimed by Attard for $20,000 on September 26, 2014 for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman, Melmich has now won 10 of 17 starts for his current connections including scores this year in the Grade 3 Dominion Day and restricted Elgin Stakes.

Attard took Melmich on the road, and over a natural dirt surface, for his two most recent starts finishing second in the Temperence Hill Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park and fourth in the Grade 2 Marathon Stakes, part of the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Santa Anita. Both events were won by the well-regarded stayer Scuba.

“The Belmont race was very good. We were very happy with his effort there,” said Attard. “At Santa Anita, I don’t think he brought his ‘A’ game that day. I think he’s happy to be back home and on the Tapeta. Hopefully that combination will allow us to see a similar result to last year.”

Melmich has worked twice since returning from California including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.20 on November 27 over the Woodbine main.

“He had a good, easy work in company. Eurico was aboard and although time wise it was pretty quick, it really looked like an effortless move on his part,” said Attard. “He’s come out of the work well and is heading into this race in good order.”

Attard, who is currently fourth in the trainer standings with a record of 40-52-42, will saddle 14 runners from Friday through Sunday as he looks to eclipse the career-best 48 wins he recorded in 2015.

“I’m very pleased with the season we’ve had. We’ve had quite a few seconds,” he admitted. “But, overall it’s been a good year and I’m satisfied. You always want to improve year over year but it’s a tough circuit at Woodbine and there a lot of good horsepeople here.

“There are some horses that seem to be turning the corner like Maxsmiraclejourney, who ran a great race to be second in the Sir Barton,” continued Attard. “And hopefully Calgary Cat and Melmich will come back next year and continue to perform at the level they’ve been performing at.”

Sunday’s weather forecast, according to Environment Canada, is calling for cloudy weather with a 30 percent chance of rain showers or flurries and a high of 3 degrees Celsius.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 $150,000 VALEDICTORY STAKES
POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER
1 / Mutasaawy / Guillermo Rodriguez / Neil Morris
2 / Aldous Snow / Patrick Husbands / Malcolm Pierce
3 / English Illusion / Alan Garcia / Dan Vella
4 / Melmich / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Kevin Attard
5 / Bangkok / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Phil Gracey
6 / Ethical Funds / David Moran / George Billers
7 / Decision Day / Gary Boulanger / Josie Carroll