Jim and Susan Hill’s Miami Deco, at 65-1, became the longest-priced winner of the Breeders’ Stakes taking the 120th edition of the race, Sunday at Woodbine.
At the finish of the mile and one-half turf contest, Miami Deco, ridden by Richard Dos Ramos and trained by Brian Lynch had scored a three-quarters of a length victory over favourites Stormy Lord and Cognashene. The final time over a yielding turf, softened by mid-afternoon rains, was 2:34.24.
Miami Deco, who was making his turf debut, became the first maiden to win the Breeders’ since Fair Montague in 1915. The son of Perfect Soul paid $132.10, in winning the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, shattering the mark set just last year by Perfect Shower of $95.30.
He was second to Breeders’ rival Smart Sky in June over Woodbine’s Polytrack, but it was his only top three finish in five starts. He was a $12,500 supplemental nomination to the Breeders’.
For Dos Ramos, it was his third Breeders’ Stakes win (Marlang, 2008; Carotene, 1986) and the second for Lynch (Royal Challenger, 2006).
Miami Deco sat near last early, through fractions of :24.67, :48.84 and 1:14.69, in the field of 13, but slowly inched his way up to striking position on the turn (the mile in 1:41.13 and 10 furlongs in 2:07.63). He was still several lengths off the mid-stretch duel of the two main Breeders’ rivals, Cognashene and Stormy Lord. With a key move to the rail, Miami Deco began to make up the ground and passed Stormy Lord in the shadow of the wire to score his first career victory.
“It’s a great feeling,” Dos Ramos said. “I had never been on the horse before, but he ran hard for me. I’m just glad I had the opportunity to ride for Brian today.”
Lynch had already made Triple Crown news in a similar surprise story last month as Golden Moka, who had not made a start in Canada, scored the Prince of Wales, the second jewel of the three-race series, at Fort Erie. Neither Golden Moka, nor Queen’s Plate winner, Big Red Mike, started in the Breeders’.
Miami Deco had trained well on the turf and wanted to run a mile an a half, according to Lynch. “He worked on the turf down at Palm Meadows (Florida) in the winter and worked great. “He’s always been a horse who looked and trained like he could get a route of ground.”
Was Lynch surprised at the lack of pre-race attention? “No one likes to promote a supplemental nomination who was going to be 60-1,” he laughed.
Stormy Lord, the 5-2 second choice, ran hard, but was second best. “It really was bittersweet,” said his jockey Jim McAleney. “He ran his race. He was deserving of the win. He fought hard, fended everybody off and got beat late. He ran a dynamite race.”
Cognashene ran well also, but not as good as the two. “I saved as much ground as I could on the first turn and in the backstretch, he positioned himself very well,” said his jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva. “I thought he ran a very good race. He’s learning. He’ll only get better.”
For the victory, Golden Moka earned $300,000. He headed into the race with only $19,633.
Miami Deco paid $132.10, $42, $17.70, combining with Stormy Lord ($5, $3.80) for a $760.40 exactor. Cognashene, the 10-4 favourite, was third and rounded out the $5,472.90 triactor. Abogado, at 78-1, was fourth and rounded out a whopping $21,198.75 Superfecta.
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