Graded stakes winner Wicked Django is all systems go ahead of Sunday’s $150,000 Grand Valley Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf feature for Ontario-bred colts and geldings, four-year-olds and up.
Trained by Renico Lafond, Wicked Django last appeared on Aug. 30 at Woodbine, where he delivered a hearty runner-up effort to 2023 King’s Plate champion Paramount Prince in the $150,000 Caledon Stakes.
“I was praying somebody went with Paramount Prince, but no one could,” said Lafond. “When I saw the race go :24, I thought, ‘Uh-oh.’
“Prince had no pressure, so I said, ‘Shoot, we’re going to finish second at worst,’ because no one gave him any heat. I told Keveh [Nicholls] just sit and watch. Don’t go after him because you don’t want to deal with him. Let somebody else do it first. So, we ran a game second. A very game second.”
A son of Wicked Strong out of the Flatter mare Belcarres, the six-year-old bay came out of the Caledon “great,” according to Lafond.
It was a welcome sight for the multiple-stakes-winning conditioner, who was careful with Wicked Django following a second-place finish in his season debut on June 13 at Woodbine.
“After he ran the second, he had a little setback that delayed me a bit,” said Lafond. “I pampered him a little bit – that’s why I ran the seven-furlong race right after the two months of not running.”
For Lafond, the process, and where it would lead, mattered more than the result (fifth) of that seven-furlong allowance contest on Aug. 9 at Woodbine.
“He ran that race, I gave him three weeks to freshen up with no works, then he came out, and ran a big race in the Caledon.”
Wicked Django, who has crafted a 3-4-4 line to go along with $287,847 in total purse earnings across 16 starts, will have had 28 days between the Caledon and Grand Valley.
In that time, the veteran, owned by Ryan Brewster, has checked every box for his conditioner. “This one [Grand Valley] gave me a month to get him ready, so I gave him a three-week space out, a nice little work, and he worked fantastic,” praised Lafond. “He’s been training great every day. He looks amazing. He’s happy.”
On Sunday, Wicked Django will move from the main track to the E.P. Taylor turf for the Grand Valley and stretch out slightly to 1 1/8 miles from 1 1/16 miles in the Caledon.
“He’s at the right distance, and he’s in great form,” said Lafond. “I’m confident that we have a really good shot this weekend.”
Nicholls, who piloted Wicked Django to a 1 ¼-length victory in the 2024 Autumn Stakes (G2), gets the call for the Grand Valley. Damian Jones is the groom.
The Grand Valley is the third of four new $150,000 stakes races restricted to registered Ontario-breds to be contested at Woodbine this season. Introduced in August by the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP), the male/open division of the series kicked off with the Vice Regent Stakes on Aug. 16.
Recent works: Wicked Django’s most recent work came on Sept. 19. He breezed five furlongs over the main track in 1:00.00 flat.
“He worked fantastic, and he’s ready to go,” said Lafond. “I got what I wanted to see. He’s back to himself.”
Wagering menu for the Grand Valley: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 5-6-7) / 0.20 Jackpot Power PK6 (Races 5-6-7-8-9-10) / $1 Swinger
Field for the Grand Valley
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Rapid Test – Austin Adams – Catherine Day Phillips
2 – Wicked Django – Keveh Nicholls – Renico Lafond
3 – Paramount Prince – Fraser Aebly – Mark Casse
4 – Side Street – Jose Campos – Rachel Halden
5 – Faber – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
6 – Naptown – Rafael Hernandez – Jose Magana
7 – Watsonville Red – Pietro Moran – Mike De Paulo
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