The 120th SEAGRAM CUP (G3) was part of a stakes race triple header at Woodbine on August 2 and seven horses, three trained by Mark Casse, lined up for the $150,000 race.
The three Casse horses had all been ridden by Patrick Husbands in their last starts: PARAMOUNT PRINCE, the 2023 King’s Plate winner and winner of the 2024 Seagram, ESSEX SERPENT, last year’s Marine Stakes winner and SWIFT DELIVERY, coming off an allowance/optional claiming win in June.
If you followed Husbands, you cashed your bet as the crafty rider carefully measured his journey aboard the grey gelding by Not This Time. Over a Tapeta surface that appeared to be quite slow, Swift Delivery camped some three lengths off Paramount Prince early in the 1 1/16 mile race.
Take note of these dawdling fractions — 24.80, 49.53. 1:13.68 — and it was no wonder other riders eventually decided to send their mounts up to ‘Prince’ and try and get the jump on the field. It didn’t work, however, as Lac Macaza and Essex Serpent, early movers to the lead, faded and Swift Delivery motored on by at the top of the stretch to win by two lengths.
Last year’s Champion Three-year-old Male, Dresden Row, rallied for second as the 4-to-5 favourite.
Swift Delivery, at one time racing for $50,000 claiming early in 2024, was bought by Gary Barber at a digital sale in May of last year for $55,000. The Kentucky-bred them won his maiden by 16 1/2 lengths and an optional claiming race on grass.
That lured a few shareholders into the gelding, including Team Valor International, Steven Rocco, Bruce Zoldan and his family friend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and of course, boyfriend of Taylor Swift.
Swift Delivery’s latest win in an optional event was the first win for Kelce as an owner. The Seagram was the first stakes win for horse and Kelce and 200th win for the Team Valor partnership.
The first foal of Raegen Harper, Swift Delivery became the 25th graded stakes winner for Not This Time, a son of Giant’s Causeway.
***
Earlier in the afternoon at Woodbine, the expensive and very large European import OUJDA (FR) romped to an easy win in the $125,000 Sweet Briar Too Stakes at 6 furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf. Bought in December at the Tattersalls Mare auction for almost $1 million, Oujda was debuting for owner Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC and trainer Will Walden.
A Group 3 winner at Chantilly in her last outing in October, the six-time winner was adding Lasix and Raffie Hernandez, the runaway leader by stakes wins at the meeting. Oujda sat a perfect trip behind the pace and surged clear in the stretch to win in a sharp 1:07.98. Gary Barber and D.J. Stables’ Ready to Jam was second and Ontario-bred Ticker Tape Home was third.
More News
