HIGHWAYTOTHEMOON keeps proving people wrong.
The bay gelding went unsold at the 2024 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s Canadian-bred yearling sale at Woodbine for $20,000. Breeders James and Janeane Everatt and Arike Everatt-Meeuse bought back their son of Grade 1 sprinter Ransom the Moon.
Now racing for DOMENIC DILALLA’S CENTENNIAL FARMS NIAGARA, Highwaytothemoon won the Queenston Stakes on June 7, a 7 furlong early prep for the King’s Plate, utilizing his front-end speed. After the race in a post-race media note, trainer Dale Desruisseaux said ‘he didn’t believe the horse will participate in the 2026 ‘Gallop for the Guineas’, noting, ‘Yeah, I think he’s a one-turn kind of horse. Maybe in a perfect world against the right company he gets two turns, but going against those top horses, he probably doesn’t get the distance.”’
On July 19, much to absolute glee of DiLalla and Desruisseaux, Highwaytothemoon relaxed beautifully for jockey Rafael Hernandez and battled hard to win the $201,500 Plate Trial Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. The Plate on August 15 will be next.
The Trial attracted a field of 12, a mish-mash of as many three-year-olds foaled in Canada that the race office could find. The Mark Casse-trained pairing consisted of Casson, a sprinting stakes winner, and Military Time, a Gun Runner colt who was second to ‘Moon’ in the Queenston.
Casson and Sahin Civaci elected to take the early lead and didn’t go all that quickly – 23.33, 47. 84 and 1:12.32. Highwaytothemoon had the pocket seat behind Casson, who was pressed by Powell River and Coronation Futurity winner Fire and Wine. Hernandez angled his gelding off the rail late on the turn for home and the pair moved to Casson. Meanwhile, from far back, Luis Contreras aboard Imyourmedicineman had circled the field and engaged ‘Moon for the stretch run. That was brief, however, as Highwaytothemoon edged clear and won by a length in 1:52.17, the second slowest Trial in 20 years. Imyourmedicineman, trained by Harold Ladouceur for Oh Em Gee Stable and Ad Noir LLC, was second a 28 to 1 by 2 lengths over Military Time, who closed well once he swapped to his correct lead.
Highwaytothemoon won his lifetime bow at Woodbine last August by 3 1/4 lengths with Hernandez up. He followed with a 3rd place finish in the Simcoe Stakes, and capped his juvenile season, finishing 4th in the Algonquin Stakes. Desruisseaux, who had two fillies in the Woodbine Oaks later in the day (2nd and 4th), said Highwsytothemoon wintered in Florida.
Highwaytothemoon opened his three-year-old campaign, gamely rallying to defeat elders by a neck in a 5 1/2 furlong optional claiming race on April 19th at Woodbine. The King Corrie followed and with Hernandez choosing Casson, Highwaytothemoon (with Pietro Moran up) went off at 10-1, led late, only to be caught in the final yards.
Arika Everatt told Canadian Thoroughbred that she thought Highwaytothemoon would be a sale topper as a yearling but that “the usual track vets told everyone he had film issues. He had nothing on his films according to Dr. Hore at Hagyards and was raised down there as usual. Dom trusted my word, bought the colt and here we are!”
Produced from the unraced mare High Society Gal, a daughter of the Everatt’s successful stud Society’s Chairman, Highwaytothemoon is the mare’s second foal. Her first, Tandhoneywithane, has won over $120,000 for Carlo d’Amato and the mare’s two-year-old is Sunny’s Rainbow, who is working well for trainer Mike DePaulo.
Second dam, Gal’s Victory, is an unplaced daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop and a half-sister to the Grade 1-winning dam of the brilliant VEKOMA, now a top sire.
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