The Minkster Wins Coronation Futurity With Ease At Woodbine

Never worse than second or third through the 1 1/8-miles, The Minkster stalked front runner Dancin' in Da'nile throughout, dueled with the leader briefly, and took over the lead for good down the stretch to win the Coronation Futurity at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Breaking from post nine in a crowded field of 14, jockey David Moran put The Minkster just to the outside of Dancin' in Da'nile early, content to wait for the far turn to turn on the speed. Through fractions of :24.28 for the first quarter, :50.61 for the half-mile, and 1:16.80 for six furlongs, the front runner held a one-length lead until the far turn, when Moran gave his colt the cue to go.

Into the stretch over Woodbine's all-weather track, The Minkster dueled with Dancin' in Da'nile briefly, lugging in slightly before taking over the lead midstretch. At the wire, the son of English Channel was 2 1/4 lengths in front of Dancin' in Da'nile, with J M R Best of Turf coming in third.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:52.51. Find this race's chart here.

The Minkster paid $29.20, $14.40, and $8.50. Dancin' in Da'nile paid $10.00 and $8.50. J M R Best of Turf paid $22.40.

“We would have rather had extra races going into this, but you know, great horses do great things,” said trainer Daniel Vella. “When you get one of this caliber, you just have to go with it and make things work.”

Bred in Ontario by Dr. Tan Hyka, The Minkster is a 2-year-old colt out of the Flatter mare Cabriole. He is owned by Sea Glass Stables. He was consigned by Northern Dawn Stables and sold to Ray Burke/Sea Glass for $39,853 at the 2020 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale. The Coronation Futurity is the colt's second win in two starts, for career earnings of $166,223.

 

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The Minkster Takes On 13 Rookie Rivals In Saturday’s $250,000 Coronation Futurity

Fourteen hopefuls, including Dan Vella's charge The Minkster, are set to square-off in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity, which headlines a trio of stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.

The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta event for Canadian-foaled two-year-olds is a significant race on the road to the 163rd running of the Queen's Plate, the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The $125,000 Display Stakes, for two-year-olds, and the $125,000 Glorious Song Stakes, for two-year-year-old fillies, will go as races three and nine, respectively. Both are seven furlongs on the Tapeta.

Dan Vella, in search of his first Coronation Futurity crown, will send out The Minkster. The bay son of English Channel impressed in his career bow on October 2, a 6 ½-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Under David Moran, who will be in the irons again on Saturday, The Minkster, at 5-1, broke inward and bumped with a rival, but recovered to hold a slim lead along the backstretch. After forcing the pace from the rail on the turn, the colt took the lead in the stretch, widened his advantage down the lane and coasted home a 6 ¼-length winner.

The final time over good ground was 1:17.19.

“I was expecting a really big effort,” said Vella. “You never quite expect it to be that easy. That win was even easier than it looks on paper. He was pretty much geared down and ran green, but he's a very talented horse. I don't know what the limit is on him. I don't know if there is one. When they came back, David said that he still had a lot of horse. He said, 'Wait until he figures out how to run in a straight line.'”

Bred by Dr. Tan Hyka and owned by Sea Glass Stables LLC, The Minkster will now tackle a series of firsts, including two turns and a run over the Tapeta.

Vella, a lifetime winner of 858 races, is confident his juvenile, a $52,000 yearling purchase at the 2020 CTHS Ontario Sale, can handle the assignment.

“I couldn't ask him to get ready any better. He's very happy with the time between races. He's not a really big horse. He's very athletic, but he's not a giant. I was very happy to have the four weeks to get him ready to where I want him. We're ready and we're excited.

“I've had a few English Channels and they are late to mature mentally and physically. He matured a lot from that race, but he has a lot more to do. Very few English Channels reach their peak in the first race of their life. They get nothing but better with age and racing. He's got some learning to do yet, but he can run.”

Vella has similar high praise for his Glorious Song contender Marie MacKay.

The bay daughter of Noble Mission (GB), bred and owned by Donald Whalen and Track West Racing, took the Shady Well Stakes on October 8 at Woodbine.

“We're going to take a shot at the open company and seven-eights. She's a lovely filly. We don't know what her limits are. We haven't reached them. She has a load of talent. She's training super, so we're going to give it a go.”

Other Coronation Futurity starters include a trio of Mark Casse starters, Fast Feet, God of Love, and Lament, and three Kevin Attard trainees, Hidden Honor, Kiddie Holiday, and Laraque, as well as Stronger Together, trained by Sid Attard.

Stronger Together, a chestnut son of Liam's Map, has posted a pair of bronze medal finishes in his two career starts.

Bred by Jim Dandy Stable and owned by Spruce Park Stable, the colt's most recent effort came in the Cup & Saucer Stakes on October 10 at Woodbine.

With Justin Stein in the saddle, Stronger Together stumbled at the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf event, but was able to regroup and finish third, 2 ¾-lengths behind God of Love.

One race prior, the chestnut, steadied at the start of the 1 mile and 70-yard Tapeta race, then ninth and 12 lengths behind the leader at the half-mile junction, rallied to net the show award, only a neck behind the winner, Shamateur, at the wire.

“This is a very nice horse,” said Attard. “I thought he has run two very good races. He's doing very well coming into this race and hopefully he builds off those first two starts and has a big race.”

Ayrshire Lad won the first running of the Coronation Futurity in 1902. The late Avelino Gomez won four straight (1964-67) editions of the race, a feat duplicated by Sandy Hawley (1973-76). The last horse to notch the Futurity-Plate double was Norcliffe in 1975-76.

The 118th running of the Coronation Futurity is slated as race eight on Saturday's 11-race card. First post time is 12:55 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

$250,000 CORONATION FUTURITY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – J M R Best of Turf – Christopher Husbands – Steven Chircop

2 – Brutality – Daisuke Fukumoto – Michael De Paulo

3 – Dancin in Da'nile – Shaun Bridgmohan – Gail Cox

4 – Shamateur – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Michael Doyle

5 – Laraque – Eswan Flores – Kevin Attard

6 – God of Love – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

7 – Mad Mocha – Sahin Civaci – Stuart Simon

8 – Kiddie Holiday – Antonio Gallardo – Kevin Attard

9 – The Minkster – David Moran – Dan Vella

10 – Fast Feet – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

11 – Rum Cup – Patrick Husbands – Barbara Minshall

12 – Lament (S) – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse

13 – Stronger Together – Justin Stein – Sid Attard

14 – Hidden Honor – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard

$125,000 DISPLAY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Ironstone – Ademar Santos – Willie Armata

2 – Heat Merchant – Gary Boulanger – Ralph Biamonte

3 – Optigogo – Kazushi Kimura – Eoin Harty

4 – Souper Legacy (S) – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Hicksy – Antonio Gallardo – Kevin Attard

6 – Twenty Four Mamba – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

7 – Dancin in Da'nile – Shaun Bridgmohan – Gail Cox

$125,000 GLORIOUS SONG

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Aubrieta – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

2 – Chocolateaddiction – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

3 – Elegant Joy – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Eoin Harty

4 – Howdyoumakeurmoney – Antonio Gallardo – Michael Trombetta

5 – Fulminate – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

6 – Fifth Anniversary – Keveh Nicholls – Ricky Griffith

7 – Skylerville – Kazushi Kimura – Jonathan Thomas

8 – Marie MacKay – Justin Stein – Dan Vella

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Constitution Colt Stephen Wins Coronation Futurity At Woodbine

Al and Bill Ulwelling's 2-year-old colt Stephen tracked down the front-runners for a breakthrough victory in the 117th edition of the $250,000 Coronation Futurity on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Justin Stein earned star of the card honors as he notched his fifth win of the day aboard the Kevin Attard trainee, who defeated Tio Magico by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:52.46 to break his maiden in the featured 11/8-mile stakes race for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds.

Tio Magico led the field of eight through fractions of :24.87, :49.20 and 1:13.15, with the favored Cup and Saucer Stakes winner Master Spy pressing the pace.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who followed second-to-last early on after an awkward start, was hustled into fifth-place on the final turn and tipped off the rail to run down Tio Magico in the stretch.

“He broke a little bit funny,” noted Stein, chalking the start up to the blustery weather conditions or the colt's inexperience, “but we recovered quick and I was happy with the trip we were getting and he just ran a good race.

“I had to make sure that he knew what was going on. I had to make him run a little more. He put his mind to the task when he got some daylight and took aim at the horse in front of him, he ran by him professionally.”

Giant Waters finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Tio Magico in third, with Master Spy, British Royalty, One Flint, Threefiftyseven and Flex completing the order of finish.

Stephen returned $6.30 to win as the 2-1 second choice in this third career start.

Attard said his trainee had always shown signs of talent and took a shot in the $250,000 restricted Simcoe Stakes for his August 30 debut over 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. Although running eighth there, he gained valuable racing experience.

The bay colt entered the Coronation Futurity off a strong second-place effort, finishing just a half-length behind the Sam-Son Farm homebred Tio Magico in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on October 4.

“Obviously, in the second race, I thought he ran great,” said Attard. “He showed a tremendous turn of foot, was coming to the winner and just ran out of real estate. He's trained well in the interim and he was coming into this race in great shape, so we were pretty high on our chances.”

Bred in Ontario by Trackwest Racing Inc., the colt by Constitution (named for former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper) was a $170,000 purchase from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2-year-olds in training spring sale.

With a gifted youngster taking what is considered a significant 2-year-old race on the road to next year's Queen's Plate, Attard dismissed the myths of the “Coronation Futurity curse” with a laugh. (The last horse to complete the Coronation Futurity-Queen's Plate double was Norcliffe, who won this race in 1975).

“Streaks are made to be broken,” said Attard, hoping stars will align in the 162nd running of the Plate. “I was born in 1975 so the plan is to break this curse next year.”

Speaking of young talent, the Ulwellings' homebred 2-year-old Haddassah debuted a winner in the race prior for the same connections.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday with an eight-race program set to kick off at 2:15 p.m. Please note that the upcoming Friday and Saturday cards will have special post times of 4:45 p.m. and 12:25 p.m., respectively.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Del Mar Ship & Win: Calm Before The Storm

Graded stakes action is light stateside in the weekend leading up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, but on Sunday in Japan, seven-time G1 winner Almond Eye will start in the G1 Tenno Sho.

A pair of listed stakes are featured on opening weekend at Del Mar, one Saturday and one Sunday. Also this weekend, a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine will begin the roads toward the 2021 Woodbine Oaks and Queen's Plate.

Racing from Belmont Park is televised on “America's Day at the Races” on FS2. “America's Day at the Races” will also broadcast races from the Churchill Downs' fall meet.

Saturday, Oct. 31

4:57 p.m.-$100,000 Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park

Trained by Daniel Velazquez, the 6-year-old Arch Cat will be making his 38th career start in the seven-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up on Big Sandy. The hard-knocking Arch gelding, who sports a record of 13-3-12 with purse earnings of $363,485, was claimed for $16,000 in June 2019 at Parx and has since won 6-of-14 starts for the new connections.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL103120USA-EQB.html#RACE9

5:15 p.m.-$250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine

Dreaming of Drew, a two-year-old daughter of Speightster, chases her first added-money title in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, one of two ($100,000 Overskate) features on Saturday's 11-race card at Woodbine. Eight starters are slated to go postward in the 75th renewal of the Princess Elizabeth, a 1 1/16-mile main track race for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies. Trained by Barbara Minshall, who has 380 career victories, Dreaming of Drew arrives at Saturday's engagement off a fourth-place finish in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) on Sept. 20 at Woodbine.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO103120CAN-EQB.html#RACE9

6:30 p.m.-$75,000 Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar

The Bing Crosby Season kicks off with a salute to the classy wife of the late singer and track co-founder – Kathryn Crosby – with a stakes race named in her honor and limited to fillies and mare aged 3 and up. Pick a filly or mare in this lineup and you can make a ready case why she could or should win. Morning line maker Jon White gave just the slightest of edges for favoritism to Donnie Crevier's veteran mare Cordiality as he hung her at a lukewarm 7-2. He put Branham, Baltas or McClanahan's Colonial Creed next at 4-1, then put a 5-1 projection on four different horses. It figures to be a tight one in the wagering and just as tight out on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR103120USA-EQB.html#RACE7

Sunday, Nov. 1

1:40 a.m.-about $3,104,299 G1 Tenno Sho Autumn At Tokyo Racecourse

The “Emperor's Cup,” run over 2,000 meters of turf, will feature 12 horses including seven-time Grade 1 winner Almond Eye. A total of seven Grade 1 winners will be participating, including double Tenno Sho (Spring) winner Fierement and Chrono Genesis, who crushed the competition in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at the end of June. Ages range from 4 to 6, with three females and one gelding competing against the boys.

4:48 p.m.-$250,000 Coronation Futurity at Woodbine

Eight hopefuls, including Barb Minshall trainees British Royalty and Threefiftyseven, and Gail Cox charge Tio Magico, square off in Sunday's $250,000 Coronation Futurity Stakes, at Woodbine. The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta event for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds is a significant race on the road to the 162nd running of the Queen's Plate, first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Minshall, in the midst of a strong campaign, packs a powerful punch in the form of British Royalty and Threefiftyseven. British Royalty, an Ontario-bred son of English Channel, impressed in his career bow on October 11 at Woodbine. Under Jerome Lermyte, who once again gets the call in the Coronation Futurity, the Bruce Lunsford-owned gelding was pinched back at the start of the 1 mile and 70 yard main track race. Last of nine early, British Royalty steadily gained on his eight rivals, and was travelling well around the final turn. Sixth at the stretch call, he continued to gobble up ground and went on to a 1 ¾-length score in a time of 1:43.74.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO110120CAN-EQB.html#RACE8

7:00 p.m.-$75,000 Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar

Alfred Pais homebred Margot's Boy was a tabbed a narrow 3-1 favorite in a competitive field of 10 on oddsmaker Jon White's morning line for Sunday's featured $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes at one mile on turf for 3-year-olds. A son of Clubhouse Ride out of the English-bred mare Margot Machance trained by Craig Lewis, Margot's Boy has three wins from nine career starts and earnings of $172,020. He shortens up from 1 1/8-mile assignments in the Grade II, $200,000 Del Mar Derby on September 6 (2nd) and Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby (7th) on October 18 at Santa Anita.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR110120USA-EQB.html#RACE8

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