Wicked Django gamely turned the tables on favoured Paramount Prince to win the first-ever running of The Grand Valley Stakes ($150,000) Sunday at Woodbine.
The six-year-old bay horse settled kindly at the back of the pack under regular rider Keveh Nicholls, as the field of six commenced their journey at a distance of about one and one eighth miles over an E.P. Taylor Turf Course listed as ‘firm.’
As expected, Paramount Prince broke sharply and used his patented cruising speed to lead through an opening quarter mile in :23.71. Side Street, going first time blinkers, stalked in second. Shipper Naptown raced outside in third with Rapid Test to his inside. Faber chased in fifth, with Wicked Django saving ground in sixth.
After an opening half mile in :47.31, Wicked Django burst between runners, moving into third as Side Street upped the pressure on Paramount Prince through an opening six-furlong split in 1:10.88.
Inside the quarter pole, Wicked Django, with a statuesque Nicholls upright in the irons, cruised up three-wide to take over the lead from Paramount Prince, who rebroke along the portable rail.
A furlong out, and with Side Street weakening, Wicked Django and Paramount Prince hooked up, both dueling gamely and as the pair hit the wire, it was the Renico Lafond-trained Wicked Django prevailing by a hard-fought head in a final time of 1:45.64. The running time for the mile was 1:33.51.
In capturing his first turf win, Wicked Django denied Paramount Prince his turf breakthrough win, while also avenging a loss to the latter last out in the Caledon Stakes on Woodbine’s all-weather main track. The son of Wicked Strong also put an exclamation point on an emotional triumph for Nicholls and Lafond, who both dedicated the win to late and popular local trainer Nathan Squires, who passed earlier in the week.
“This is very emotional for me,” said Lafond. “I want to dedicate this to Nathan Squires, my very, very good friend, my mentor, family. I wish he was here to actually see this, but I knew he was watching over us.”
Nicholls, who captured the 2024 Grade 2- Autumn Stakes aboard Wicked Django, echoed those sentiments.
“Yes, Nathan. You know, it’s been so hard,” said Nicholls. He’s been a good guy, good friend to me. You know, I didn’t ride much for him, but it really touched me when I heard that he passed, and I know it touched not only me but a lot of people.”
After his runner up finish in the Caledon, Lafond breezed the bay a bullet five furlongs (1:00.00) over the local dirt training track and was confident in a good showing.
“This horse is a grand horse. He’s a naturally gifted horse,” said Lafond. “During the whole week, he was training amazing. I told my friend Damian, who rides him: ‘This is it. We’re going for this.’ And then when Nathan passed, I knew this was it. Yeah, this was gonna be it.”
Bred in Ontario by Denny Andrews and Niall Brennan, the Ryan Brewster-owned Wicked Django (Wicked Strong – Belcarres, by Flatter) improved to 4-4-4 from 17 lifetime starts. Nicholls has now been up for all four career wins.
“I knew from the get-go. He was just towing me around there, like I had so much horse, and I was just looking to pick a spot coming towards the three eighths pole, where am I going to go,” wondered the rider. “He dug in really hard. I know. Paramount Prince, I got by him, and he kind of fought back on. But the big boy prevailed today.”
Wicked Django appeared at 6-1 on the morning line, went postward at odds of 8-1 and returned $18.60 for the win. Paramount Prince finished second. Rapid Test rallied to be third. And Side Street finished fourth. Watsonville Red was a steward scratch, in the one-turn turf route for four-year-olds and upward, registered Ontario-breds.
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