Spadina Road needed every bit of the stretch run to wear down favoured Asserting Bear and capture Saturday’s $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Bob Tiller for owner Rolph Davis, Spadina Road loomed into contention through the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile ‘Poly’ stake for Ontario-sired colts and geldings and persevered the length of the stretch to get past Coronation Futurity champ Asserting Bear for a ¾-length score.
Eurico Rosa da Silva piloted the dark bay son of Where’s the Ring-Scarlet’s Castle, bred in Ontario by Minshall Farms, in his first two-turn attempt, settling in fourth position as Spin the King set splits of :24.65, :48.62 and 1:12.47.
Asserting Bear, the even money mutuel favourite, assumed command at the top of the lane but could not hold off the determined Spadina Road. Spin the King stayed on strong along the rail to earn the show position.
Spadina Road stopped the clock in 1:46.06.
The victory marked the first stakes score for Spadina Road who was an impressive winner at first asking romping to a 6 1/2-length win on July 28. Spadina Road finished an even fifth in the seven furlong Swynford Stakes on August 24 and then returned on October 14, after a brief freshening, to be third to Flashy Margaritta in the six furlong Bull Page Stakes.
Last time out, Spadina Road finished a closing second to Flashy Margaritta in the seven furlong Frost King Stakes, setting up an impressive first route win.
“When he trains, he always gallops out very strong. Last time, when he ran seven-eighths, I thought that was a good distance for him to win, but it was not enough. Today, at a mile and a sixteenth, I was very confident,” said da Silva.
Spadina Road banked $75,000 in victory, while improving his record to 2-1-1 from five career starts.
He returned $10.10, $3.80 and $2.90, pairing with Asserting Bear ($3, $2.60) for a $24.40 (7-5) exactor. A 7-5-8 (Spin the King, $4 to show) triactor was worth $98.40. Latin Piper completed a $1 Superfecta (7-5-8-4) worth $252. Coltimus Prime and Man Cave were scratched.
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