Tracy Farmer's Fev Rover, an Irish-bred mare by Gutaifan, won Sunday's Grade 1, $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario, leading for the six furlongs, backing up into third position on the turn for home, then re-rallying under Javier Castellano to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
The victory was the first in the race for both Fev Rover's trainer, perennial Woodbine leader Mark Casse, and for New York-based Castellano, who had a productive day north of the border, winning three consecutive races, including the $200,000 Algonquin for the same owner-trainer combination of Farmer and Casse. He added a fourth consecutive win, also for Casse, in the race that followed the E.P. Taylor.
Fev Rover completed 1 1/4 miles on an E.P. Taylor turf course rated “good” in 2:04.20 and paid $10.10 to win.
Godolphin's With the Moonlight, sent to Canada from England by trainer Charles Appleby, finished second as the 5-2 second choice. Moira, the 3-2 favorite, finished third, with 23-1 longshot Skims fourth in the field of 10 fillies and mares.
Breaking from the inside post position, Fev Rover assumed the early lead, but was challenged to her outside by Rocky Sky, one of three entries in the E.P. Taylor for trainer Chad Brown, who's won two of the three previous runnings of the race.
Fev Rover went the opening quarter mile on rain-softened turf in :25.66 and the half in :50.29. Declan Carroll urged 50-1 shot Rocky Sky to take on Fev Rover early , likely trying to soften her up to benefit Consumer Spending, the most fancied of Brown's trio at 6-1. Rocky Sky was in front after six furlongs in 1:14.30, with Fev Rover falling back to third as longshot Skims briefly battled up front with Rocky Sky. Castellano then swung Fev Rover three wide at the top of the stretch and began to move toward the front.
Meanwhile, Moira was rallying five wide at the head of the long stretch and With the Moonlight was also reaching contention. But Fev Rover got the jump on them as Rocky Sky retreated and Consumer Spending failed to menace.
The win was the sixth in 19 starts for Fev Rover, imported to North America in 2022 and winner of the G2 Canadian over this turf that year. Earlier this year, Fev Rover carried Farmer's black and white colors to victory in the G2 Nassau on yielding turf at Woodbine, then took the G1 Beverly D Stakes at Colonial Downs going wire to wire.
The E.P. Taylor is named for the legendary Canadian horseman and businessman who bred, owned and stood at stud the influential stallion Northern Dancer.
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