2013 Sovereign Awards: Champion Sprinters

CHAMPION SPRINTER MALE

PHIL’S DREAM

Owner/Trainer/Breeder: Paul Buttigieg (ON).

“He’s going to shoot higher and probably stick mainly to grass. We’re pointing him at the Woodbine Mile,” said Justin Stein.

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Phil’s Dream lives life like he was shot out of a cannon. His workout tab is littered with bullet breezes. Five furlongs in :58? No problem. Four furlongs in :46 and change? Why so slow, jock? That’s just the way he rolls.

In a season in which the dark bay won seven of 10 starts, including a landmark Grade 1 score in the grassy Nearctic Stakes, it comes as no surprise that the one time Phil’s Dream finished out of the money came after a pedestrian five-panel work in 1:04-flat.

“I worked him every time except for once,” said regular pilot Justin Stein of the July 28 breeze preceding a fourth-place run in the Shepperton Stakes. “I don’t know how the exercise rider got him to go in 1:04. On him, 1:04 would feel like you were galloping. Going in a minute on him, you don’t feel like you’re going anywhere.”

In fact, Phil’s Dream is so fast that Stein only worries when owner/breeder/trainer Paul Buttigieg asks him for an easy work.

“When Paul says to go easy with him, you know you might get a speeding ticket, because the horse is very deceiving,” said Stein.

After a promising three-year-old season, Phil’s Dream missed all of his 2012 campaign to deal with a tendon issue.

Buttigieg’s patience with the Ontario-bred paid off as Phil’s Dream returned stronger and faster than ever in 2013, regularly recording Beyer Speed Figures in the 90s, including a massive 100 Beyer for a 1 1/2-length score in the Ontario Jockey Club over Go Blue or Go Home and a 97 figure for his neck decision over Ultimate Destiny in the Overstake Stakes.

However, it was a driving effort in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes, when besting Mr. Online by two lengths, that Phil’s Dream secured honours as the nation’s top sprinter and earned a nod as finalist for Horse of the Year.

“Every time he ran last year, he just kept improving,” recalled Stein. “He gained confidence and then I gained confidence in him. He just turned into a freak. I thought he was unbeatable.”

And outside of a lackluster effort in the Shepperton, Phil’s Dream truly was untouchable. Even his season-ending third in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road saw the gelding come up just half a length short.

As good as he was last year, Stein, with Buttigieg at the helm, has bigger goals in mind in 2014 for the fast-improving horse.

“He’s going to shoot higher and probably stick mainly to grass. We’re pointing him at the Woodbine Mile,” said Stein.

And while not many sprinters can stretch their speed to a full eight furlongs, Woodbine’s unique turf course, with its one-turn mile, just might be tailor-made to the talents of Phil’s Dream.

“He’s won going seven-eighths and won it easily. In every win picture, particularly the Nearctic, his ears are straight up at the wire,” said Stein. “A mile would be the furthest distance he’s run, but he’s a Philanthropist and he’s bred to go farther. He’s got a nice turn of foot, settles nicely and I can’t see a mile being a problem.”

With $537,910 in purse earnings from a seven-win season, it’s hard to imagine Phil’s Dream provides too many problems – unless, of course, he doesn’t get to burn up the “Poly” during morning training.

“Cooling out, he’s bucking and squealing. I feel sorry for the people who have to walk him when I work him five furlongs in only a minute. He’s just wild after,” said Stein, grinning.

CHAMPION SPRINTER FEMALE

Youcan’tcatchme

Owner: Murray Stroud. Trainer: Sam DiPasquale. Breeder: Strouds Lane Farm (FL).

VOTING TOTALS

Youcan’tcatchme 88

Goldstryke Glory 65

Leigh Court 58

by Keith McCalmont

Youcan’tcatchme and Justin Stein winning the Etobicoke Handicap in August at Woodbine.

The aptly-named Youcan’tcatchme sprinted her way into owner/breeder Murray Stroud’s heart with a tenacious campaign that saw the dark bay daughter of The Daddy-Poppy’s Baby Girl win three stakes in five starts including Stroud’s first graded wins in the Grade 3 Seaway and Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes.

“Murray was so happy after the Seaway win. It was his first graded win,” recalled Justin Stein, who piloted the now five-year-old mare through each start.

In tough against Roxy Gap, honoured as Canada’s outstanding female sprinter and older female a year earlier, Youcan’tcatchme did not flinch, sprinting out of the gate and daring a six-horse field to come and get her.

Ever determined, Youcan’tcatchme held sway for seven furlongs and repelled the bid of Roxy Gap who came up 1 1/2-lengths short.

“Murray was overcome with joy and had tears in his eyes. That meant a lot to me. He was so thankful and really, I didn’t do anything but ride her around there,” said Stein. “It was nice to see an owner not taking it for granted. He knows how important that win was. It was important to him in his heart and soul and it was touching to see that he cared that much.”

While the mare makes it look easy on the track, the spirited miss has not had the easiest of trips.

“It takes a team (to raise a horse) and Youcan’tcatchme has been through a lot of trials and injuries,” said Stroud. “As a two-year-old, she had a back injury and as a three-year-old, she had a condylar fracture and had to come back from that.”

Sam Di Pasquale, who has conditioned the mare throughout her career, felt fortunate to have Youcan’tcatchme return to the races for a second time.

“These kinds of horses don’t come along too often. She’s a little special to me,” said Di Pasquale. “She had a condylar fracture in her right front and we rushed her to surgery. She was rehabbed at Pine Valley Training Centre and they did a great job. We were very patient with her and brought her back when she was right and she won first and second time out.”

Those first two wins, in the Etobicoke Handicap and the Grade 3 Seaway, established Youcan’tcatchme as a force to be reckoned with. Although she couldn’t reel in Goldstryke Glory in the Apelia Stakes, finishing second, Youcan’tcatchme she returned with a vengeance to capture the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion in style.

“She’s a lovely animal. I am blessed to have a horse like Youcan’tcatchme,” praised Stroud. “She has a personality that is unbelievable to be around.”

And Stein believes that the mare may have more in store for her proud owner after a particularly impressive breeze at Woodbine on April 13.

“She worked easy and caught a horse that was 10 lengths in front of us without me asking her to run,” said Stein. “We went up the rail and when we got beside that horse, she grabbed the bit and tried to take off with me. All I could say was, “Easy mama.” I think she can have a big year.”

“Murray was so happy after the Seaway win. It was his first graded win,” recalled Justin Stein, who piloted the now five-year-old mare through each start.

Ever determined, Youcan’tcatchme held sway for seven furlongs and repelled the bid of Roxy Gap who came up 1 1/2-lengths short.

While the mare makes it look easy on the track, the spirited miss has not had the easiest of trips.

Sam Di Pasquale, who has conditioned the mare throughout her career, felt fortunate to have Youcan’tcatchme return to the races for a second time.

Those first two wins, in the Etobicoke Handicap and the Grade 3 Seaway, established Youcan’tcatchme as a force to be reckoned with. Although she couldn’t reel in Goldstryke Glory in the Apelia Stakes, finishing second, Youcan’tcatchme returned with a vengeance to capture the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion in style.

“She’s a lovely animal. I am blessed to have a horse like Youcan’tcatchme,” praised Stroud. “She has a personality that is unbelievable to be around.”

And Stein believes that the mare may have more in store for her proud owner after a particularly impressive breeze at Woodbine on April 13.