He’s been second and third in the Vice Regent Stakes and on Saturday, August 5, ROCKCREST has a good chance to win the $150,000 turf sprint for Ontario-bred three-year-olds and upward.
A $17,000 yearling purchase at the 2018 CTHS Ontario sale by Paul Mouttet, Rockcrest races for owner and trainer Nigel Burke who has seen his grey gelding blossom as a six-year-old in 2023. Rockcrest won his Woodbine debut this year over champion Filo di Arianna and then took the Pink Lloyd Stakes on June 4.
Keveh Nicholls returns to ride the son of Old Forester – Saint Judy by Mineshaft who was bred by Sherry McLean’s Northern Dawn Stable.
The field of nine for the Vice Regent, named in honour of one of Ontario’s great stallions, will race 5 furlongs on the inner turf course and it is race 9 on Saturday.
Shipping in for the race and returning to Woodbine is OUTLAW KID, bred by the late Robert Harvey. The four-year-old by Violence from Woodbine stakes winner Calling Rhy Rhy has won three of nine races and posted a whopping 100 Beyer Speed Figure when he won a turf sprint at Belmont Park in June. The gelding, trained by George Weaver, came to Woodbine for the tough Grade 2 Highlander Stakes on July 1 but was burned out in a wild pace battle.
Three-year-old SILENT RESERVE, winner of a 5 furlong turf sprint on July 21 and last year’s Vice Regent Stakes winner FORESTER’S FORTUNE are also in the field.
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