cup and saucer stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

God Of Love, Fast Feet Make It A Casse Exacta In Cup and Saucer At Woodbine

Dual Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse hit the exacta with winner God of Love and runner-up Fast Feet in the 85th running of the $251,200 Cup and Saucer Stakes Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

While 7-2 choice Fast Feet set the early tone in the 1 1/16-mile turf classic for Canadian-bred two-year-olds, it was 7-1 stablemate God of Love, a son of Cupid, who finished strongest of all to take the spoils.

Fast Feet, bred and owned by Gary Barber, arrived at the Cup and Saucer off an impressive first-time out win in September, and looked sharp again, taking his 10 rivals through an opening quarter of :25:53, as Mentoring kept close tabs on the leader, with Dancin in Da'nile following in third. God of Love, with Rafael Hernandez aboard, was well back in the pack, sitting in ninth.

Fast Feet continued to set the pace, still operating on a half-length lead over Mentoring through a half in :50.44, as God of Love was still well back in eighth.

Heading into the final turn, Fast Feet began to pick up the pace and attempted to draw away from his pursuers. God of Love, ninth at Robert Geller's three-quarters call, still had plenty of work ahead of him.

After methodically picking off his rivals one by one, God of Love set his sights on his stablemate and began to carve into the former's lead, going on to secure a 1 ¾-length score in a time of 1:47.86 over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Stronger Together finished one length behind Fast Feet for third and Dancin in Da'Nile took fourth.

“I tried to get the times, tried to get closer, because I know the turf is soft and we didn't want to be stuck behind too many horses, but he refused to go early,” said Hernandez. “He said, 'Nah.' He was staying back, so I said we will try to make it in one run. I put him in gear, and he gave one run, and he came flying down the lane.”

The Ontario-bred returned $17.10 for the win.

Owned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, God of Love, bred by the late Bill Graham, was seventh as the favorite in his career bow, a 5 ½-furlong Tapeta race, on September 12 at Woodbine.

Hernandez, who teamed with Casse to win three races at Woodbine on Saturday, including the Overskate Stakes, thinks there are even better days ahead for the chestnut colt.

“He can go on both (surfaces). He just needs to go longer. The longer he goes, the better he's going to go.”

It was the sixth Cup and Saucer crown for Casse and his third straight.

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Master Spy Leads All The Way In Cup And Saucer At Woodbine

Master Spy seized the lead in the 84th running of the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes and never looked back to secure his first stakes triumph on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

The popular Mark Casse trainee led the field of nine gate-to-wire over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in the 1 1/16-mile feature showcasing Canadian-bred 2-year-olds.

Jockey Patrick Husbands put Master Spy on top, warding off early inside pressure from second choice Credit River and setting fractions of :24 to the quarter, :48.11 to the half-mile mark and 1:12.71 to three-quarters over firm turf. Turning for home, Master Spy kept clear as Threefiftyseven launched an all-out charge in second and opened up 3 1/4 lengths down the stretch to score in 1:42.67. Giant Waters edged out Beyond My Dreams for third.

“The riders saw the first two races run on the turf today that the winners came from behind so I was telling myself, I hope the [other] riders stick with that plan and I can get an easy lead,” said Husbands after his astute front-end strategy landed him and the rising star in the winner's circle.

“It's amazing to see that every time I leave the gate, he was relaxed. He was never rank at all. It showed me that if anybody won't leave today, I didn't mind.”

Fresh off a maiden-breaking victory last month over one mile when making his E.P. Taylor turf debut, Master Spy was sent postward as the 5-2 bettors' choice here and paid $7.30 to win.

Now two-for-four in his career, the dark bay colt, who was a runner-up in the Victoria Stakes on August 2, earned his first added-money score for owner Tracy Farmer.

Bred in Ontario by Bernard and Karen McCormack, the Silent Name–Smart Catomine colt was a $72,000 yearling sale purchase from the 2019 Keeneland September sale and now boasts more than $235,000 in purse earnings. He is a half-brother to 2017 Prince of Wales Stakes champion Cool Catomine and Wild Catomine, who defeated 2014 Horse of the Year Lexie Lou in the Fury Stakes.

Husbands has won the Cup and Saucer a record six times and Casse has campaigned five winners in the event. They have joined forces for three of their wins including victories with Star Contender in 2012 and Conquest Enforcer in 2015.

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Credit River Among 9 Seeking Cup & Saucer Riches At Woodbine

Trainer Breeda Hayes is hoping for an encore performance from Credit River in Saturday's $250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

A 1 1/16-mile event for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds run over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the 84th running of the Cup & Saucer has drawn nine starters, including Credit River, an Ontario-bred son of More Than Ready.

Bred and owned by Hillsbrook Farms (Garnet Williamson), the colt had a dazzling debut in the $135,000 Ontario Racing Stakes on September 19 at Woodbine.

Under Emma-Jayne Wilson – who'll be aboard again Saturday – the grey outran his 41-1 odds in grand style in the second running of the five-furlong Inner Turf stakes for two-year-olds.

“It was a tough task and a tall task – I mean, a first-time starter – but he showed his talent today,” Wilson said after the victory. “I just let him get his legs, he got away from there okay, but he's not nearly as quick as those guys were early and I didn't expect him to be, so when I gathered him up and asked him to pick it up, he didn't even hesitate … he was all business.

“This horse comes by his talent honestly,” she continued. “You can see it in the form; his mom [Like a Gem] was a multiple stakes winner that I used to ride here, and one of his siblings [half sister, Hard Not to Like] was a Grade 1 winner. So to see him flourish on the turf is no surprise.”

Hayes has equally high praise for Credit River, the third black-type foal out of Like a Gem for Williamson, who campaigned Hard Not to Like to a Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) score before she was sold to Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

“My gosh, he ran huge,” said Hayes, who recorded her first career stakes win. “I was expecting him to run in a maiden race, but the maiden race didn't go. I was expecting him to gallop in that maiden race, but you know, sometimes you go with the hand that God dealt you. And it was a good one.”

She doesn't expect her young, headstrong charge to take a step backward in the Cup & Saucer.

“He'd done everything so well and so professionally ahead of his first race. He's coming into this race in great form. He is a bit of punk. He dropped me – I'd say it was more than eight weeks ago – and I landed on a fan after galloping him. All of a sudden, he exploded. Something must have caught his eye, or somebody moved something, and I wasn't ready for him. That's why Johnny [Hayes' husband] has been galloping him since. He's doing a great job, so we're not going to take him off.”

Hayes is hopeful for less drama, and a carbon copy of the 2011 Cup & Saucer result, the year Hard Not to Like beat the boys.

“He was ready three weeks before that maiden race didn't go. He's not going to be as seasoned as some of the ones that are in here, but he's fit to go the distance. I'm just crossing my fingers and hope he gets a good trip. Hopefully, he'll show a bit of that kick he did going 5/8ths. We're excited.”

Hall of Fame trainer Jim Day has won 10 editions of the Cup & Saucer, including seven straight runnings from 1984-1990.

Last year, 18-1 Muskoka Gold, bred by the late Bill Graham, delivered conditioner Mark Casse his fourth Cup & Saucer crown.

The Cup & Saucer is slated as race seven on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

Giant Waters – Rafael Hernandez – Daniel Vella
Credit River – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Breeda Hayes
Too Legit – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall
Carpe Horseshoe – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
Download – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo
Beyond My Dreams – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
Threefiftyseven – David Moran – Barbara Minshall
Dragon's Brew – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

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The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Highs, Lows And Takeaways From 2020 Triple Crown

The Paulick Report editorial team – publisher Ray Paulick, editor-in-chief Natalie Voss, news editor Chelsea Hackbarth and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills – takes a look back at this strangest of Triple Crowns in this week's edition of the Friday Show.

From the minute Churchill Downs officials announced in mid-March that the Kentucky Derby would be postponed until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus pandemic, we knew this year was going to be different. I don't think any of us knew how different.

Kicking off with a distance-shortened Belmont Stakes June 20 and ending with a Preakness on Oct. 3 that may be remembered as one of the most exciting renewals in recent history, the Triple Crown had its share of highs … and lows. We may have learned a few things – some takeaways – from this year as well.

Watch this week's Friday Show below and let us know what your favorite memories were from the 2020 Triple Crown.

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