It’s been quite a year for Tucci Stables, trainer Nick Gonzalez and jockey Jesse Campbell.
In July, they teamed to win the Queen’s Plate with Midnight Aria in a major upset. Saturday at Woodbine, they once again pulled off a bit of a shocker, as 10-1 River Seven led virtually throughout to take the co-featured $115,000 Labeeb Stakes at Woodbine in dominating fashion, eventually winning by 10 lengths.
Named for the winner of the 1998 Woodbine Mile, the one mile Labeeb drew an ultra competitive field of nine over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course, headed by Hunters Bay, the Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s top Older Horse last year, who was making a belated seasonal debut. Also in the field was stakes-placed Grand Arch.
Both Hunters Bay and Grand Arch were well-supported, going postward as the 9-5 co-choices.
But it was River Seven who swamped them all, taking the field through early fractions of 24.32, 47.96 and 1:12.99, repelling an early stretch challenge from Grand Arch and floating away for the impressive score in 1:38.81. Grand Arch held for second, with Hotep rallying for third. Hunters Bay wound up a tired fifth.
“We thought we’d let a few go,” explained Campbell, about surprisingly being in front from the get-go. “When I got on the turf course, it was softer than what I expected it to be. So I had in mind that if he broke running, I might ask him a little more than what I was planning. He broke sharp. I didn’t want to ease him back. My horse is a fighter. With the turf being soft, it’s hard to close a lot of ground.
“He’s a good old boy. He deserves a win. He’s run some tough races against some real nice horses. He’s had a long year, but I thought if I could get some confidence in him down the backside, that he’d really be there for me. It worked out today.”
Added co-owner Carlo Tucci, “To be honest, when we picked him out of the Florida sale (for $60,000, at the Fasig-Tipton two-year-olds in training sale), we thought this was our Queen’s Plate horse. We’ve had some downs, but he is a gutsy horse and he proved it today.”
River Seven, winner of last year’s Grey Stakes when upsetting eventual Horse of the Year Uncaptured, had also made the Plate back in July, but faded badly in the mile and one-quarter classic and wound up a well-beaten 10th to his stablemate.
However a lot has happened since then. Midnight Aria was put away for the year shortly after the Plate but River Seven, the Ontario-bred son of Johannesburg-Sans Souci Island, has danced every dance, in ultra consistent fashion. He finished second to Uncaptured in the Prince of Wales on dirt at Fort Erie and second to Up With the Birds in the turf Breeders’ Stakes, the second and third legs, respectively, in Canada’s Triple Crown. He’d come into the Labeeb off a neck loss in another turf contest.
However, on Saturday, River Seven peaked with his best performance of the year. With the $72,000 winner’s share, his career bankroll is approaching $500,000.
Sent postward the fifth choice, River Seven paid $22.20, $7.60 and $5.80, combining with Grand Arch ($3.80, $2.70) for a $98.60 (2-3) exactor. A 2-3-8 (Hotep, $4.60) triactor was worth $472.50 while a $1 Superfecta [2-3-8-1 (Money Talker)] came back a healthy $1,426.70.
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