Up With the Birds swooped to the lead at the top of the lane en route to a decisive score in Sunday’s $168,900 Marine Stakes, at Woodbine.
Up With the Birds, a Sam-Son Farms homebred trained by Malcolm Pierce, entered the Marine Stakes off a strong winter campaign that included a score in the Black Gold Stakes, at Fair Grounds, along with a narrow neck defeat in the Grade 3 Transylvania, at Keeneland.
Eurico Rosa da Silva settled Up With the Birds at the back of the pack in the early going of the 1 1/16-mile ‘Poly’ stake as Drenched led the field through splits of :24.25, :47.52 and 1:11.31 with Ghost Hunter and Five Iron keeping close tabs.
Up With the Birds got first jump on Grade 3 Lexington champ Winning Cause, under rider Julien Leparoux, into the far turn with an impressive turn of foot to take the lead and went on to win by 4 3/4-lengths in a final running time of 1:43.82. Winning Cause closed along the rail for place over Five Iron.
A son of Stormy Atlantic, Up With the Birds stamped himself the Queen’s Plate favourite in a dominating performance.
“He handled everything so easy. He’s a wonderful animal,” said da Silva.
The veteran rider believes that Up With the Birds won’t have any trouble traversing a mile and a quarter in the Gallop for the Guineas.
“If it was two miles today, it would be even better,” he said.
Pierce, who is hoping that Up With the Birds will become the first Coronation Futurity champ to go on and win the Plate since Norcliffe in 1976, is cautiously optimistic.
“He came into the race in good order and timing wise he’s had plenty of space between races,” said Pierce. “Let’s just keep our fingers crossed for six more weeks.”
Pierce will now train the colt into the $1-million Queen’s Plate, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, to be held on July 7, at Woodbine.
Up With the Birds banked $108,000 in victory, while improving his record to 4-1-1 from six career starts.
He returned $4.40, $2.40 and $2.10, pairing with Winning Cause ($2.50, $2.10) for an $8 (1-2) exactor. A 1-2-6 (Five Iron, $2.60 to show) triactor was worth $20.40. Silent Admirer was scratched.
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