On a sunny, crisp autumn day at the picturesque farm, the treelined 100-acre home to over 50 retired Thoroughbred horses, a group of visitors strolled about the property, carrots in hand, happily interacting with the horses.

“This guy, who we call Charlie, was a million-dollar earner on the racetrack,” heralded Vicki Pappas to those who had gathered. “He loves people and he loves attention.”

Pappas, a founding member and longtime chairperson of LongRun, one of the continent's most respected horse retirement and adoption organizations, and the first industry-funded adoption program in Canada, appreciates the presence, personality and popularity of the horse known as Something Extra during his racing days.

“He is such a hambone and a wonderful ambassador when we have visitors to the farm… they all love to meet a millionaire,” said Pappas, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this year in the Builder category. “You can tell how much ego he has, and that's what made him such a good racehorse. When his paddock mates start running around, he likes to lag behind them, pretending he can't keep up, and then just comes on and blows them away. But you can see that he loves the attention and adulation from anyone he meets.”

That was more than evident on this day as the 13-year-old gelding readily, although gently, accepted each carrot he was given, nudging his head forward to take as many pats as he was offered.

For Cox, the woman who trained and co-owns the dark bay son of Indian Charlie, those moments, something she's heard of countless times, always elicit a wide smile.

“He's a real people horse, he always has been,” noted the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner.

Bred in Kentucky by Gulf Coast Farms, Something Extra was originally purchased for $85,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale by Cox for herself and co-owner John Menary.

Competing mainly at Woodbine, Something Extra recorded his first stakes win in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup in 2012 and repeated that feat one year later. In 2014, he won the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes, and in 2015 he took his show on the road to win Keeneland's Grade 3 Shakertown. He contested two Breeders' Cup Turf Sprints, in 2014 and 2015. After a handful of graded stakes efforts in 2016, he was retired with a career mark of 9-10-7 from 39 career starts, along with earnings of $1,015,394.

“He had this wonderful natural speed,” praised Cox. “He went fast very easily and carried that speed so well. Three-quarters was a great distance for him, but nothing ever shook him up. That win in the Shakertown was probably the one race that stands out for me. It's not easy to win a stakes race at Keeneland, but he did, and he did it so impressively.”

When his racing days were through, Cox's attempt to convert Something Extra into her track pony didn't pan out – his competitive spirit couldn't be satiated by walking babies to and from the track.

“That was my original idea, to make him my pony because I didn't want to let him go,” recalled Cox. “The barn, everyone loved him. He had all of us trained. But he wanted no part of being a pony – too much racehorse. He had started the pony training in Ocala, and it was going fine. But he likes to be the boss around other horses, so when they would lay against him, he didn't like that. So, that didn't work out. Charlie would have none of it.”

She then thought of LongRun.

Cox warmed to the idea of seeing her beloved horse live a serene life in retirement, one where he could interact with other horses and the hundreds of visitors the property sees throughout the year.

“I'm so happy that LongRun exists,” said Cox. “He was a really special horse for us and he still is. He's a horse that I will protect for the rest of his life. The first year at the farm, seeing him look different than he did on the track, it was very strange to see him like that. But he looks fantastic. They found the right horses for him to be turned out with… I'm so happy that he's there.”

Cox, who along with Menary, fully sponsors Something Extra, visits the farm several times throughout the year.

“It's obvious that she loves him to death, pays him lots of visits and tells us how great he looks,” said Pappas. “That means the world to all of us at LongRun, makes what we do worthwhile to know our efforts and those of this lovely horse are appreciated.”

Scorching summer afternoons, bone-chilling winter mornings and everything else in between, Cox, always bearing some type of gift for Charlie, is never in a rush when she's at LongRun's facility, situated a little less than an hour's drive north of Woodbine Racetrack.

“I see him before I go to Florida with my horses in the winter, as soon as I come back, and other times too.”

Those are, she said with a smile, times well spent.

“Whenever I see him, it brings back a lot of wonderful memories, those two Breeders' Cups, winning that stake in Kentucky. Every time I pull into the property, so many things go through my mind. Just seeing him happy makes me happy. I always bring him carrots and mints.”

The latter is a must-have on Cox's trips to LongRun.

“He's a mint hound. He'll do anything for those. They took him to a fair a couple of years ago, before COVID, and put him in a paddock where he could walk around. He'd follow everyone who had mints and when they'd stop, so would he. I love hearing those stories and I also just love having that one-on-one time with him.”

Those moments often stir recollections of the bond the two had forged years ago.

“I don't know… it just kind of happened. That connection really progressed when he was three. I would get on him, back when I was galloping, and we really clicked. Then there was the traveling. Any racetrack he went to, I also went there in some capacity. I always wanted him to know I was there for him.”

She still does.

As for those scenes, the playful interactions between Charlie and everyone he meets, they will always hold special meaning for Cox.

“I know how much he loves people and I hope people get that sense from him, that he gave them a special experience.”

Hopeful, that he was able to provide all with the same two words found on his halter.

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When Tio Magico shrugged off his rivals down the lane in the $125,000 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine on July 11, the dark bay's trainer was understandably beaming well after the 2 ½-length triumph.

Not just for the impressive effort, not just because the son of Uncle Mo-Magic Broomstick seemed to get his mojo back, and not just because his jockey, Luis Contreras, lavished praise upon the 3-year-old in the winner's circle.

It was all that plus something personally meaningful for Cox, specifically, the iconic colors Contreras wore in the Queenston victory.

“Sam-Son Farm has been so invested in racing, in Canada and around the world,” said Cox. “They've bred so many amazing horses and had so much success. It was heartbreaking when they made that announcement.”

This past October, Sam-Son announced it was dispersing its breeding and racing stock over the following 12 to 18 months.

Founded by Ernie Samuel in 1972 and developed into a world-renowned racing and breeding operation, Sam-Son, after Samuel's death, was headed by Tammy Samuel-Balaz, who led Sam-Son to numerous victories and awards until her own passing in 2008.

Sam-Son has bred and raced 44 Graded stakes winners, including 37 Classic winners and 14 Grade 1 winners. They have received 84 Sovereign Awards and four Eclipse Awards, and laid claim to five Plates: Regal Intention in 1988, Dance Smartly in 1991, Scatter the Gold in 2000, Dancethruthedawn in 2001 and Eye of the Leopard in 2009.

Their long list of champions include the incomparable Dance Smartly, the first Canadian owned and bred horse to win a Breeders' Cup race and who, in her undefeated three-year-old season of 1991, became just the second filly in history to win the Canadian Triple Crown. Other champions include Breeders' Cup winner Chief Bearhart, Eclipse Award winner Sky Classic, Dancethruthedawn, Quiet Resolve, Rainbow's for Life, Ruling Angel, Silken Cat, Soaring Free, Wilderness Song and many more. Sam-Son also bred and raced Grade 1 winner and influential sire Smart Strike, a half-brother to Dance Smartly.

“I would love to see them stay longer,” said Cox. “What they have done for racing is simply amazing. They do everything the right way and always in the best interest of the horse. To be associated with Sam-Son is something I am truly grateful for.”

It's something she was reminded of when Contreras and Tio Magico turned for home and down the lane in the Queenston.

The victory itself was a victory in itself considering Tio Magico had come into the race off a fifth-place performance in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Woodbine on June 19.

Cutting back to seven panels, he broke smartly in the Queenston and took the field through fractions of :23.85 and :46.95 before easily keeping his advantage to record the front-running score.

“Luis and I both felt the same way, that 'Tio' just needed to get out there and run his race,” said Cox. “It seems to be the way he's happiest. He ran so well last year, and I think we just probably messed around with his style a little bit. This is how he wants to run, and I think he'll run a distance like this. His gallop out was huge. So, it was so nice to be able to win like this.”

One of Tio Magico's biggest fans had seemingly endless furlongs of flattery for the horse.

“I just love this guy,” said Contreras. “I think you haven't seen the best of him. He has something that attracts me and makes me feel good.”

Cox hasn't figured out why horse and rider have developed such a strong bond.

All that matters, offered the conditioner, is that there is one.

“Luis just loves him. He always asks about him and he's always talking about him. I don't know why it is, but he loved him right from last year. He breezed him last year and they just seem to have built this wonderful connection.”

Cox was also fond of Tio Magico early on.

After a sixth-place finish to launch his career last September at Woodbine, the Ontario-bred broke his maiden second time out and followed that result with a runner-up effort in the Coronation Futurity Stakes on November 1.

Tio Magico then headed south for the winter where he posted a third and fifth, respectively, in two Gulfstream Park engagements. He was seventh in allowance race at Belmont on May 15 before heading back to Cox's barn on the Woodbine backstretch.

“I'm happy to have him back with me,” said Cox earlier in the year. “He's a lovely horse and he's very nice and relaxed in his stall. He's a big horse and his mind is great. Laid-back in the stall, mostly, he eats and sleeps. He has a ton of talent and he's just starting to grow up now. I expect to see big things from him.”

That hasn't changed.

Whether that means Tio Magico gets a shot at Queen's Plate glory on August 22 isn't a sure bet. Discussions between his connections are ongoing.

Having options, Cox admitted, is a wonderful position to be in.

“He's a great mover and he goes fast just so easily. He's quite an easy horse to deal with. Everybody has to digest this win and then see where we go from there, what the alternatives are, and things like that. Luckily, he's a seasoned racehorse and off that race [Queenston], we can do what we want.”

As for seeing the Sam-Son silks in the 162nd running of the Plate, that would be, Cox admitted, as good as red and gold.

She could have two chances at notching her first win in the “Gallop for the Guineas.” Tidal Forces, a son of Malibu Moon and also a Sam-Son homebred, has a record of 2-0-0 from three starts after finishing fifth in the Queenston.

“We know that's it hard to plan these types of things because plans don't always work out as you want them to. It would be wonderful to be in such a historic race with a horse that represents the very best in Canadian racing. Every time you see those Sam-Son colours, it's hard to put into words, but it's a very special feeling.”

Cox would certainly know.

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The Uncle Mo-Magic Broomstick gelding broke sharp and cruised through fractions of :23.85 and :46.95 en route to the 2-1/2-length victory in 1:22.54.

“I just love this guy. I think you haven't seen the best of him,” said a beaming Contreras after the victory. “He has something that attracts me and makes me feel good.”

Cutting back to seven furlongs after finishing fifth in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race here on June 19, Tio Magico paid $6.50 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The winning effort improved his record to 2-1-1 from eight career starts.

“We've always liked this horse a lot,” said Cox. “He ran so well last year, and I think we just probably messed around with his style a little bit. This is how he wants to run, and I think he'll run a distance like this. His gallop out was huge. So, it was so nice to be able to win like this.”

Tio Magico was a top three Queen's Plate contender, assessed at 6-1 odds in the Winterbook predictive rankings. When asked about targeting the 1 1/4-mile first leg of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, which takes place on Sunday, Aug. 22 at Woodbine, Cox said the date would be up for discussion among the connections.

Artie's Storm angled out wide from mid-pack on the final turn and came on to finish second in the Queenston, with Queen's Plate eligible Red River Rebel, the 9-5 favourite, chasing from the rail in third. Del Griffith finished fourth and was followed by Master Spy, another Plate contender who pressed the pace near the turn, and Download.

Gretzky the Great was scratched along with Candy Overload, who was cross-entered in the Marine.

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The odds, 6-1 on the Woodbine infield toteboard, suggested Tidal Forces had a decent shot at winning the allowance optional claiming main track race this past Saturday at the Toronto oval.

Cox also figured he had a reasonable chance at taking the spoils.

“He ran so well in his first start [April 10, at Gulfstream] I really like him. Running that first race at Gulfstream, it's tough there. He ran so well and it was a very impressive effort.”

As was his encore at Woodbine.

At the end of the 8.5-furlong main track race, the 3-year-old son of Malibu Moon crossed the wire a half-length winner under Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Although Cox wasn't certain Tidal Forces, who was unraced at 2, could get up in time for the victory, Wilson had no doubt about the outcome.

“It impressed me that he settled so nicely. Emma said he had the measure of them the whole way. When they were turning for home and down the lane, I thought, 'Is he going to get there?' When I talked to Emma after the race, she said she knew they would. I thought, maybe, he wouldn't have enough speed for there, but I think he did. In hindsight, when you watch the replay, you could see that he did have the measure of them the whole time.”

While there are still key races to be run ahead of the Queen's Plate (August 22), the big picture has now come into sharper focus for Tidal Forces' connections.

Listed at 50-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook, the Ontario-bred has now stamped himself as a legitimate Plate contender.

Aside from his physical talents, Tidal Forces' demeanor has impressed Cox from day one.

“He's a pretty cool guy. He eats well and he's pretty easy to deal with. He walks over the paddock calmly. He's just very professional in everything he does. There are times when you see little signs of immaturity, losing focus a little bit, but I'm really happy with everything when it comes to him.”

Cox doesn't dial back that high praise even if Tidal Forces can be, at times, somewhat laid back.

“When you're walking out to the track with him, you'd almost think he's lazy. He kind of wanders out and wanders back. But when you turn around to gallop him, he's quite powerful. And that's just the type of horse you love to have, one who can turn the dial from laid-back to all business.”

Those aren't the only things that have stuck with Tidal Forces.

Although he no longer showcases a particular look, the sobriquet bestowed upon him has stayed.

“We call him 'Brutus,' said Cox with a laugh. “As a young horse, he had this huge neck, a big, fat, wide neck. As he's grown up, he's certainly lengthened out a bit and become much more refined. He's really quite beautiful.”

A horse that looks to be a bona fide Plate contender.

That said, Cox, in search of her first win in the $1 million classic, will endeavor to rein in her emotions as the road to the big day continues to intensify.

“I'm really happy we got to run him at Woodbine because he is going to need a couple of races now that we are planning towards running him in the Plate. He's got to get some experience. But after these two races, it makes you confident in taking the next step.”

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Ridden by Luis Saez, the 6-year-old son of More Than Ready defeated another 6-year-old turf veteran, Channel Cat, by 1 1/2 lengths while covering 1 1/2 miles in 2:28.26 on a course labeled “good.” Crafty Daddy finished a neck back in third, with Fantasioso fourth in the field of eight older horses.

Say the Word, who on Thursday was named champion turf male in Canada's Sovereign Awards, paid $7.20 as second wagering choice behind 2-1 favorite Tide of the Sea.

Say the Word raced in mid-pack in the early going as Tide of the Sea set the pace. He made a wide move running down the backstretch, reaching contention at the quarter pole, then drawing off late for the victory.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm, Say the Word joined D'Amato's stable after Mark Martinez bought into the horse from Sam-Son late last year in the name of his Agave Racing Stable. He ran three times for D'Amato prior to the Elkhorn, finishing third in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar, 11th in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park and second to United in the G3 San Luis Rey at Santa Anita.

The win was the sixth for Say the Word in 29 career starts. He was produced from the Giant's Causeway mare Danceforthecause.

Post-race quotes:

Luis Saez (winning rider of Say the Word): “He just found a good spot (on the backstretch), and he picked up the bridle. I didn't want to let him go too early, so I tried to relax him. When we came into the straight (on the run to the finish), he was pretty good. He took it away, and he won the race.”

Josh Flores (assistant to winning trainer Phil D'Amato, who is based at Santa Anita in California): “The only instructions I gave to Luis was just get him to settle early. For a second we were a little concerned when he picked up the bridle on his own. Luis did a great job to get him to settle. Down the lane, the horse really dug in and put up a good fight.”

Corey Lanerie (rider of runner-up Channel Cat): “We were forwardly placed right behind the favorite (Tide of the Sea). The eventual winner was right on my hip and I just could not hold him off. My horse ran great. Going a mile and a half, the pace might have been a little quicker than I thought we would be going, but he handled it the whole way.”

Jack Sisterson (trainer of Channel Cat): “He ran a very good race. We were optimistic going in to this race. We backed off since his last race (fifth in Jan. 23 William L. McKnight-G3 at Gulfstream Park). We decided to point to the Elkhorn here at Keeneland – this is home for him. If horses could talk, he was telling us he was going to run a big race. It was good to see him run back to the form he had when he was trained by Todd Pletcher.”

On Channel Cat's next race: “We might look at something like the Manhattan (G1 at Belmont Park June 5) or the United Nations (G1 at Monmouth Park July 17). I think he is better than a Grade 3 horse.”

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Juan Hernandez gave the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding a well-timed ride that saw him get home by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 feature for 3-year-olds and up. Phil D'Amato trains the bay who was making his California debut after racing in Canada for trainer Gail Cox earlier this year.

“He'd been running longer races (10 and 12 furlongs) and when he broke a little slow today I didn't rush him,” said Hernandez. “We were in a good spot on the backside and I could feel I had plenty of horse. When we hit the three-eighths (pole) I wheeled him outside and we started to pick them up. He ran hard through the stretch and we got it done.”

Finishing second in the Seabiscuit was Juddmonte Farms' favored Flavius and running third was Iavarone, McClanahan or Peskoff, et al's Next Shares.

Count Again returned $18.80, $8.40 and $5.80 across the board. Flavius paid $4.20 and $3.40, while longshot Next Shares returned $10.00 to show.

Co-owner Sam-Son Farm's of Ontario, Canada, is also the breeder of the winner.

“Gail Cox delivered this horse to me in excellent condition and I was really glad to have him,” said D'Amato. “She got him going really good and his confidence up as well and I just kind of trained on from that. I'm just fortunate to have him. Juan (jockey Hernandez) followed our plan. I just told him to save all the ground and come with one run. If the race sets up for us, great, if not we'll stretch him out next time. He followed those instructions to a 'T' and he came with a monstrous run. ”

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer D'Amato, but his third in the Seabiscuit. He now has 29 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Count Again registered his fourth win in his eighth career start and pick up $120,000 as the winner's share of the purse. He now has career earnings of $271,165.

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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.

For Minshall, the ending was far more pleasing than the start.

“It was quite the effort. His effort is almost exactly him. He's a very tall, lanky, green horse. He was bought later in the year, so he wasn't as advanced as my other babies. He was the only baby that I've had in probably 10 years who had a bit of a shin. So, I had to stop on him for 45 days. He definitely got a little bit behind the eight ball.”

Bred by Richard Lister, British Royalty now gets a sterner test in his second outing.

Minshall believes her young pupil is up to the task.

“He has a lot of ability and he showed it. Being an English Channel, I think, definitely as he gets older, things should really start to come together. Here, there's not really anywhere else we could run him, if I want to give him another race. So, he'll race in here and then we'll go from there.”

A less complicated trip would be ideal.

“When he broke out of the gate and he was really far behind, I was thinking, 'Oh, no. Am I going to be embarrassed here with a horse I told the owner I like?' But I thought Jerome did a good job. He didn't rush him. He let him get his legs going. Once he found his stride and weaved his way through some traffic, he just took off like a bat out of hell. He's a talented horse, but I don't know if he really knew what he did. He's going to appreciate every bit of the distance and he's a nice two-year-old who needs another race. We're going to take a shot. There's a lot of money on the line and he's a nice horse.”

The multiple graded stakes winning conditioner also sends Threefiftyseven postward.

A son of Run Away and Hide, the gelding, whom Minshall owns and also co-bred (with Bruce Lunsford), is 1-2-0 from four starts.

The bay's most recent effort was a runner-up result in the 1 1/16-mile turf Cup & Saucer Stakes on October 10. Sent off at 8-1, Threefiftyseven crossed the wire 3 ¼ lengths behind the Mark Casse-conditioned winner Master Spy, who will also compete in the Coronation Futurity.

Finishing fourth in his debut, a five-furlong Inner Turf race on July 12, Threefiftyseven finished second in his following start on August 9, breaking his maiden the next time out, a 1 ¼-length triumph at 6 ½ panels on the Toronto oval Tapeta.

“He [British Royalty] is the total opposite of Threefiftyseven, who has had a few races,” noted Minshall. “He's a very professional horse, a very strong horse. He hasn't put – knock on wood – a foot wrong since he's started. He's also going into the race in really good order. “They're both very different horses on a very different level of knowledge, but we're going to take a shot with both of them and see what happens. I really, really like 2-year-olds and I love training them.”

Gail Cox, also in the midst of a successful season, will turn to Tio Magico to deliver her first Coronation Futurity title.

The Sam-Son Farm homebred finished sixth to Threefiftyseven in his debut on September 7.

“He got in a bit of trouble early,” noted Cox. “Then he made a great, big middle move, and I think he just got a little bit tired.”

The dark bay son of Uncle Mo was magic in his second start, a 1 1/16-mile main track race that was originally scheduled for the turf. Tio Magico, despite ducking in twice, held a 5 ½-length lead at the stretch call, and secured a half-length victory in a time of 1:44.85 ahead of the Kevin Attard-trained Coronation Futurity contender Stephen.

“He's doing great,” said Cox, who is one win shy of tying the career-best 15 victories she posted in 2011. “He's really good. After it came off the turf, I was thinking that you have to look ahead to the future. He trains well on the surface, so I wasn't really that worried about it. The only thing you question is, 'Now we're going two turns.' As it worked out, it was great that he had the opportunity to do that.”

The multiple graded stakes winning trainer, who has a personal-best four stakes scores this season, is excited to see what's in store for her young charge.

“He's a very nice horse and I think he's very talented. He's got a great mind… easy to train. He's still a colt and he's pretty good about it. He can run. He's always worked really well.”

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 also achieved by Sandy Hawley (1973-76). Last year, Halo Again won the race in a time of 1:51.82. The last horse to notch the Futurity-Plate double was Norcliffe in 1975-76.

The 117th running of the Coronation Futurity is slated as race eight on Sunday's 11-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$250,000 CORONATION FUTURITY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

2 – Tio Magico – Luis Contreras – Gail Cox

3 – One Flint – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John LeBlanc Jr.

4 – Giant Waters – Rafael Hernandez – Daniel Vella

5 – British Royalty – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

6 – Threefiftyseven – David Moran – Barbara Minshall

7 – Flex – Slade Callaghan – Michael De Paulo

8 – Stephen – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

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“We always like to root for the horses who ship from here to run out of town,” Wilson said. “This year it's been far more rare, so we've been watching them a lot more closely. It's always fun to root for your home team.”

Wilson was glued to a television screen when trainer Gail Cox sent Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word to Saratoga in August, running the 5-year-old son of More Than Ready in a 1 3/16-mile allowance race on the grass.

“Junior Alvarado rode him and he came last to first with a wicked run,” Wilson recalled. “I was extremely impressed, and I mentioned to Gail that I liked the way he'd run and that I'd like to ride him.

“Woodbine only had five Grade 1's this year, and quite often we get a lot of ship-in horses, so the locals have to step up their game. I'm always on the lookout for serious horses, and I thought he'd be a tough horse.”

Wilson first rode Say the Word in the G3 Singspiel Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on the grass, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths overall to finish third.

“I got to know him a little bit; he's a little bit unique so I had to find that happy balance and get on the same page with him,” said Wilson. “It's like in hockey, if you take a left wing and place him on the right, it's going to take him a little bit of time to get used to that side.”

Cox and Wilson's end goal was to stretch the horse out to the 1 1/2 miles of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf, held last Saturday, Oct. 17, and Say the Word responded brilliantly. Making his signature last-to-first move, Say the Word made a big run in the stretch to win by a length.

“Say the Word was definitely coming into his own this year,” Wilson said. “I'm grateful to have gotten the mount when I did.”

Say the Word and Emma-Jayne Wilson winning the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes

Of course, big race days don't feel quite the same this year without the presence of spectators at the Ontario oval.

“When I walk up on big race days at Woodbine, I enjoy that moment looking up at the grandstand and its totally full,” Wilson explained. “Normally on Queen's Plate day, you come on the gap at the seven-eighths pole and the grandstand is packed, just thousands and thousands of people, and you can feel each and every one of them, their energy.

“This year was bizarre. You can feel the energy of the horses, the jocks, the anxiety, but it wasn't the same. It didn't have the anticipation, that buzz of the crowd, and I definitely miss that. It's a big part of our game; the fans are massive and we wouldn't be there without them.”

Though Wilson has earned both an Eclipse Award and multiple Sovereign Awards for her riding career, last weekend's Northern Dancer Turf is just the third Grade 1 win added to her resume. The first came in 2015, also in the Northern Dancer Turf aboard Canadian champion Interpol. It took five years until she rode her second Grade 1 winner, Lady Speightspeare, victorious in last month's G1 Natalma Stakes.

“Lady Speightspeare is a pretty significant horse,” said Wilson. “I think you're going to be hearing her name quite a lot down the road.”

A Charles Fipke homebred out of his multiple graded stakes-winning mare Lady Shakespeare, the 2-year-old daughter of Speightstown won both her starts this year for trainer Roger Attfield. Lady Speightspeare earned an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf via her Natalma victory, but an ill-timed knee injury will keep her from making the trip to Keeneland.

“She's an athlete and a competitor, and she wasn't taking any prisoners (in the Natalma),” Wilson said. “It's disappointing that she's not able to go to the Breeders' Cup, because she was definitely one that I was willing to sit out races for, just to ride that one race; she is that good.”

Were Wilson to have made the Breeders' Cup trip with the filly, it would likely have cost her a total of 24 days away from Woodbine because of COVID-19 quarantine protocols. The jockey is currently tied for third in the standings with 72 victories this year, so her willingness to give up those days of riding indicate just how special she believes Lady Speightspeare could be.

What has made her two Grade 1 victories and strong 2020 season even more special, Wilson said, is the fact that she missed significant portions of the last two seasons with injuries.

“I'd been pretty lucky,” Wilson said. “I had a liver laceration in 2010 that kept me out of the saddle for three months, and it was serious, but physically I was okay. I didn't have any broken bones or anything, so I just had to maintain my physical fitness while being careful.”

In 2018, Wilson took a spill the morning before the meet started at Woodbine that resulted in the worst injuries of her career. She broke her humerus (upper arm) all the way through and required surgery with a 5 1/2-inch metal plate and nearly a dozen screws to put it back together.

“I wasn't expecting the challenges that came along with it,” Wilson admitted. “I was thinking it would take about six to eight weeks for the bone to heal, which was accurate, but then I remember trying to take my arm out of the sling and straighten it and I just couldn't.

“It was immobilized from the moment I hit the ground until a few weeks after surgery. After a trauma like that and then it gets seized up, it was disconcerting that my arm wasn't working the way I wanted it to. I wasn't prepared for the rehab; the muscle atrophy and loss of range of motion were just shocking.”

Four months after the injury Wilson was able to get back in the saddle, and she wound up winning 48 races at Woodbine in 2018.

Last year, her injury occurred on Sept. 8 in an afternoon spill. She fractured her left clavicle and three bones in her right hand, also requiring a surgical repair.

“The severity of those wasn't nearly as bad, but they're still injuries,” Wilson said. “I've learned over the years that I'm a professional athlete, and part of my job is knowing how to rehab. Most importantly, the rest days are just as important as the working ones.

“When I was a kid I was just, 'Go go go!', but you come to appreciate the days of healing. I made healing my job, and it was essentially eight weeks to the day that I was back in the saddle, so that was reassuring.

“I really have a great team behind me. My wife (equine chiropractor Laura Trotter) is just phenomenally supportive, and my personal trainer Matt Munro is a physiotherapist as well. When you have such a passion and a love for the sport like I do, it makes it easy to work harder and be ready to go as soon as you return.”

Wilson showed she was definitely ready to return, capping her 2019 season with 59 wins to finish sixth in the standings last year.

The jockey used to travel south in the winters to work the Fair Grounds meet, but that changed when she and Trotter started a family. Now, Wilson prefers to stay home with her 3-year-old twin daughters, Avery and Grace. She'll still fly to Florida a couple times a month as the weather starts to warm up, staying for the weekend to breeze a few horses for regular clients, then returning home to her family.

Until this spring, of course. The coronavirus pandemic put the entire Woodbine meet in jeopardy, so like the rest of her fellow jockeys based at the Ontario track, Wilson was grateful to be riding when the season started in June, about six weeks later than usual.

The hard-working 39-year-old has since turned the abbreviated meet into a successful one, making it one of her best years in the saddle yet. Wilson says she's far from finished, though.

“This game's been good to me, and I enjoy it every single day, every single leg up,” Wilson said. “I think I'll keep riding for as long as I'm healthy and happy. When you're winning races for great connections it's easy to have a love for the sport, and being in the winner's circle always helps you pull out of tough times, so there's no better reason to keep going.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Wilson Making The Most Of ‘Bizarre’ Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sent off at 5-1, Say the Word, bred and owned by Sam-Son Farm, and trained by Gail Cox, struck front in the late going and fended off a deep stretch surge from Sir Sahib to claim victory in the 1 1/2-mile marathon run over a “good” E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

It was slight mutuel favorite Admiralty Pier who swept to the front soon after the gates opened, with the son of English Channel, under Steve Bahen, leading his rivals into the first turn. Peace of Ekati took up residence in second spot, with Jungle Fighter and Count Again (Say the Word's Sam-Son farm stablemate) sitting in third and fourth, respectively. Say the Word and Wilson were eighth and last.

Admiralty Pier, who took his seven rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :25.25, was still calling the shots after a half-mile clocked in :51.57. Peace of Ekati remained second, while Jungle Fighter and Count Again matched strides 1 1/2 lengths further back.

It was status quo on the front end after 1 1/4 miles, as Say the Word still waited for the word from Wilson.

As the field rounded the turn, Say the Word was given his cue from Wilson and the duo launched their bid on the far outside, as Admiralty Pier clung to a head advantage with challengers beginning to shorten his lead.

Seventh at the stretch call, Say the Word began to methodically pick off his rivals one-by-one, eventually taking over the lead but then quickly tasked with fending off a late-charging Sir Sahib.

At the wire, Say the Word was one length in front of Sir Sahib, while Admiralty Pier finished a head in front of Count Again for third spot.

The final time was 2:29.87.

“It was perfect actually,” said Wilson, who won the 2015 Northern Dancer with 10-1 longshot Interpol. “The first time I rode him, Gail let me know that Junior Alvarado from Saratoga had said that he was funny with his mouth, he could be a little sensitive and to trip him [out] in a certain sort of way. Last time [in the G3 Singspiel Stakes], we got the one-hole going a mile and a quarter, and I just got shuffled back. It took me a bit to just kind of get on the same page with him last time, being as sensitive as he was. I mean, he ran well, he ran third, but he was coming on end.

“So today, I was more confident with him, more ground and I knew where the line was with him for my hands and give and take. He settled for me beautifully; I literally just held the mane for pretty much the first mile and a quarter. Then as I gathered him up, I knew…I just knew. He was gaining on them last time and I just knew when he straightened, he was already in flight and it was going to be tough to beat him.”

Wilson also had high praise for Alvarado.

“And if it wasn't for the other jock's advice and what he knew of him … it's a community thing. If Junior doesn't pass that message onto Gail … it's a team effort. Yes, we're jockeys and we're in competition, but also, he wants to see the horse do well as well. Kudos, Junior; I appreciate it.”

Cox, in the midst of a strong campaign, was thrilled with the outcome.

“I think this horse kind of likes to know the people that he's with, so he's not one that's easy to shift around all the time. He also loves this turf course and he loved the distance. Last year, he was sent to me and we ran him on the Tapeta, and it was not to his liking.”

The E.P. Taylor Turf Course, however, is quite a different story.

An Ontario-bred, Say the Word came into the Northern Dancer off a tough third-place finish, one that saw the dark bay flying late, in the 1 1/4-mile Singspiel Stakes (G3T) on Sept. 19 at Woodbine.

This time, the 5-year-old son of More Than Ready was just that.

A now five-time winner from 25 starts, Say the Word, who contested two-thirds (Queen's Plate and Breeders' Stakes) of the 2018 Canadian Triple Crown, notched his first added-money win in taking the Northern Dancer.

Say the Word paid $13.60, $5.80 and $3.90. The 1-3 exactor with Sir Sahib ($5.40, $3) returned $78.30. Admiralty Pier completed a 1-3-7 triactor worth $364, with fourth-place Count Again completing a $1 superfecta (1-3-7-8) worth $532.55.

The post Say The Word Closes Late For Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“It was perfect actually,” Wilson said of her trip. “The first time I rode him, [trainer Gail Cox] let me know that Junior Alvarado from Saratoga had said that he was funny with his mouth, he could be a little sensitive and to trip him [out] in a certain sort of way. Last time, we got the on -hole going a mile and a quarter, and I just got shuffled back. It took me a bit to just kind of get on the same page with him last time, being as sensitive as he was. I mean, he ran well, he ran third, but he was coming on end.

“So today, I was more confident with him, more ground and I knew where the line was with him for my hands and give and take. He settled for me beautifully; I literally just held the mane for pretty much the first mile and a quarter. Then as I gathered him up, I knew…I just knew. He was gaining on them last time and I just knew when he straightened, he was already in flight and it was going to be tough to beat him.”

Say the Word upended a 1 3/16-mile Saratoga optional claimer Aug. 14 at 51-1 while being offered up for the $62,500 tag. He was most recently third behind Count Again and Sir Sahib in the 10-panel GIII Singspiel S. here Sept. 19. His lone 1 1/2-mile outing came when second in the 2018 Breeders’ S. here while under the tutelage of Graham Motion. Say the Word made two starts for Gail Cox last fall, including a fourth in the GIII Durham Cup on this main track. He was then off the board in a trio of tries for Neil Howard at Fair Grounds, and returned to the Cox barn to be sixth in a local optional claimer June 20.

“I think this horse kind of likes to know the people that he’s with, so he’s not one that’s easy to shift around all the time,” Cox said. “He also loves this turf course and he loved the distance. Last year, he was sent to me and we ran him on the Tapeta, and it was not to his liking.”

The Samuel family’s Sam-Son Farm upped its record win tally in the Northern Dancer to eight Sunday.

Sunday, Woodbine
NORTHERN DANCER TURF S. PRESENTED BY PATTISON-GI, C$340,200, Woodbine, 10-18, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:29.87, gd.
1–SAY THE WORD, 121, g, 5, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Danceforthecause, by Giant’s Causeway
                2nd Dam: Dancethruthestorm, by Thunder Gulch
                3rd Dam: Dance Smartly, by Danzig
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. O/B-Sam-Son Farm (ON); T-Gail Cox; J-Emma-Jayne
Wilson. C$216,000. Lifetime Record: 25-5-2-4, $445,292. *1/2
to Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), GSW, $291,226. Werk
Nick Rating: B+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sir Sahib, 121, g, 5, Fort Larned–Xs Belle, by Dynaformer.
O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (KY); T-Kevin Attard.
C$60,000.
3–Admiralty Pier, 123, g, 5, English Channel–Full Steam Ahead,
by Kitten’s Joy. ($100,000 Ylg ’16 FTSAUG). O-Hoolie Racing
Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Barbara
Minshall. C$30,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 5.80, 5.70, 2.15.
Also Ran: Count Again, Woodbridge, Nakamura, Jungle Fighter, Peace of Ekati. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:

Say the Word is the 25th highest-level winner (92nd graded/group winner) for international sensation More Than Ready) and is out of a Giant’s Causeway mare like MGISW Verrazano. He is one of 26 Grade I/Group 1 winners out of Giant’s Causeway dams. Say the Word’s third dam is none other than legendary Hall of Famer Dance Smartly. This is the extremely productive female family of Smart Strike, Dancethrudawn, et al. Danceforthecause, whose 4-year-old son Rideforthecause was fourth in the GI E.P. Taylor S. two races later on the card, produced a Distorted Humor fily in 2019 and a Street Sense filly this term. She was bred back to Twirling Candy.

The post More Than Ready Gelding Has Last ‘Word’ in Northern Dancer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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