Defending champion Mr Ritz was the star of the show once again in the $125,000 Seagram Cup (Grade 3) on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.
Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll conditions the winner, who turned in a gate-to-wire effort with Patrick Husbands aboard. Husbands, who also partnered with Carroll to win the 2011 edition of the Seagram Cup with James Street, earned his fifth victory in the 1 1/16-mile stakes event for older horses.
Explode applied early pressure to the front-runner through splits of :24.28 and :47.95, with recent Eclipse Stakes winner Skywire looming at the rail and Cooler Mike three-wide before offering up a challenge past three-quarters in 1:11:87. However, 6-5 favorite Mr Ritz turned back all challengers down the stretch to prevail by two lengths in 1:43.28.
Second prize went to Skywire, who finished a half-length in front of Cooler Mike. Avie's Flatter, also trained by Carroll, closed four-wide on the turn to claim fourth-place. Jungle Fighter, Tiz a Slam, Perfect Tapatino and Explode completed the field.
“When he made the lead, I was a little worried with that horse [Explode] pressuring him, but he was so relaxed,” said Carroll in a post-race interview. “You could tell he was very relaxed and then we he got a :24 [quarter], I said, 'You know what, they're not going to catch him today.'”
Mr Ritz returned $4.60 to win.
Earle Mack owns and bred the British-bred son of Oasis Dream who opened his 5-year-old campaign finishing third behind stablemate Avie's Flatter and Skywire in the Eclipse on July 4.
“I was a little bit disappointed [in his season's debut], but he definitely got a little tired. He needed that race, he had all winter off and it showed a little bit,” said Carroll. “We thought he was very, very tight – he had been excelling in his works – but there's nothing like a race to really tighten him up, especially at this level of competition.”
Mr Ritz now sports a career record reading 6-3-2 from 13 starts with earnings approaching the half-million-dollar mark.
“He's won stakes on both surfaces. I think he's just a good older horse that's coming into himself,” said Carroll.
The conditioner also watched Woodbine Oaks eligible filly Avie's Samurai ($8.60) win a 6 1/2 furlong allowance race later on the card. Ivan Dalos' homebred stakes-placed filly got up late to prevail by a neck over the favored Sav in 1:16.39 in rein to Luis Contreras.
Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Thursday, with the 30th day of the meet featuring eight races, beginning at 3:20 p.m. Racing Night Live returns at 6 p.m. on TSN with the two-hour broadcast covering action from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park.
PHOTOS: Mr. Ritz and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the $125,000 Seagram Cup (Grade 3) on Sunday, July 26 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)
The post Mr Ritz Repeats As Betting Favorite In Seagram Cup At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
