Munnyfor Ro Powerful In Stretch To Win Wonder Where Stakes

Munnyfor Ro rallied stoutly down the long E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch to take the $250,400 Wonder Where Stakes, third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.

It took a little bit of time for Munnyfor Ro to hit her best stride, but when she did, the daughter of Munnings dashed away from her rivals for a convincing score in the in the 1 1/4-mile turf test for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada.

After an early scramble for the lead, 66-1 Youens struck front as 4-1 Emmeline settled just to her outside in second spot. Justin Stein, aboard Munnyfor Ro, kept the 6-5 choice in striking distance, sitting sixth after an opening quarter timed in :26.44.

Youens continued to lead the way with Emmeline keeping close tabs to the pacesetter, as Munnyfor Ro, winner of the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, first leg of the Triple Tiara, was still running along comfortably in sixth after a half in :52.44.

As the field rounded the turn for home, Youens and Emmeline were quickly challenged by several rivals, including Miss Marie and Cielo d'Oro, as Stein called upon MunnyforRo for her best run.

Midway down the lane, the favorite seized control and proceeded to sprint away from her rivals, notching a 1 1/2-length triumph in a time of 2:05.36 over good ground, and returning $4.60 for the win.

Miss Marie battled on gamely to secure second place, Cielo d'Oro was third and Bequia, also a Kevin Attard trainee, took fourth. Il Malocchio, winner of the Bison City Stakes, second jewel in the Triple Tiara, was sixth.

“She's all racehorse,” praised Stein. “She felt the same (on turf), just that nice, efficient stride, and that strong kick down the stretch. Just reading the form, you could see there was no real speed, and we were forwardly placed. She was on the bridle and just had to settle her into stride and wait to turn her loose.”

With the victory, Munnyfor Ro stamped herself as a legitimate Sovereign Award contender in both the champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year categories.

Attard was equally thrilled with the effort from the chestnut filly, bred in Ontario by Daybar, Ltd., who finished fourth to Safe Conduct in this year's running of the Queen's Plate.

“I thought she's blossomed a lot since her race in the Queen's Plate,” said Attard, who won last year's Wonder Where with Merveilleux. “She kept good weight, possibly put on some weight. She's matured from a physical standpoint, and she trained really well heading into this race. This was a race that Raj [owner Rajendra Maharajh] wanted to target from the get-go. It was just nice to see it all come together today and get the job done.”

Munnyfor Ro, now 3-2-2 from 11 career starts, broke her maiden at Keeneland this April.

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Canadian Triple Tiara Concludes With Saturday’s Wonder Where Stakes

This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara concludes when a field of nine talented 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies chase top prize in Saturday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Set at the distance of 1 ¼-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Munnyfor Ro, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Il Malocchio, third in the Oaks and winner of the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on August 28.

The race has also attracted the ultra-consistent Emmeline, a dark bay daughter of Violence.

Trained by John Mattine for RCC Racing Stable Limited and Realm Racing Stables, the filly, bred in Ontario by the late Bill Graham, has four seconds and one third from seven career starts.

After back-to-back fourth-place results in her first two starts last August, Emmeline was third, at 57-1 in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, to close out her rookie campaign.

Emmeline launched her sophomore season with the first of four straight seconds in a seven-furlong Tapeta race at Woodbine this June. Her runner-up finishes include the Woodbine Oaks and Bison City.

Mattine is hoping his hard-trying horse can break her maiden in style on Saturday.

“She's in good order,” said the stakes winning conditioner. “I think she raced well in all four of those races. I'm not disappointed in any of them. I thought her second race this year (July 10) where she just got nailed at the wire… it could have gone the other way, but you have to give credit to the other horse (Miss Marie, also entered in the Wonder Where) who won that day.”

He's expecting another strong showing this weekend.

“She's a game filly, she really is. It's lovely to have her. I've walked the (E.P. Taylor) surface and I know it's a little different than it is in the summertime. My opinion is that whoever wants the distance and that type of surface will win it. I think it will be a tight race. I don't foresee it as one horse blowing the others out. I'm looking forward to a good race.”

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A chestnut daughter of Munnings, Munnyfor Ro, trained by Kevin Attard, heads into the Wonder Where off a fourth-place finish in the Queen's Plate on August 22.

Owned by Raroma Stable, Munnyfor Ro has compiled a record of 2-2-2 from 10 starts, which includes a runner-up outing in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes in July.

The filly is no stranger to turf, with six grass races under her saddle, highlighted by a maiden-breaking nose score over 1 1/8-miles on good ground at Keeneland this April.

Munnyfor Ro launched her career last October at Woodbine, finishing eighth in a six-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor.

“We're obviously excited to see her back on turf, she had run so well over that footing during the winter and prior to coming back to Woodbine,” said Attard. “She seems like she's matured from a physical standpoint since the Queens Plate. I've been satisfied with the way she's trained heading into the Wonder Where and I'm expecting her to run very well.”

Il Malocchio is another consistent contender, sporting a record of 2-3-2 from 10 starts for trainer Martin Drexler and owner Franco Meli.

The daughter of Souper Speedy arrives at the Wonder Where in top form, punctuated by her impressive victory in the Bison City.

This will be the seventh overall stakes appearance and fourth straight added-money engagement for Il Malocchio, who broke her maiden on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf last September, courtesy of a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Victorian Queen Stakes.

One race prior, she finished second in a seven-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor.

Other familiar faces from the first two jewels of the Triple Tiara include Cielo d'Oro, third in the Bison City, Miss Marie, sixth and fifth respectively in the Oaks and Bison City, and Youens, fourth in the Oaks and sixth in the Bison City.

Bequia, also trained by Attard, Pemberley, and Tranquil Sky are newcomers to the series.

The race is named in honour of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.

Sealy Hill, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2007, took all three Triple Tiara races in that same year.

First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as the ninth race. On Sunday, Queen's Plate champ Safe Conduct returns to Woodbine to contest the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 
1 – Tranquil Sky – Tony Maragh – Steve Owens
2 – Miss Marie – Shaun Bridgmohan – Breeda Hayes
3 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler
5 – Bequia – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
6 – Youens – Jeffrey Alderson – Angus Buntain
7 – Cielo d'Oro – Antonio Gallardo – Catherine Day Phillips
8 – Pemberley – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mike Mattine
9 – Emmeline – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine

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Haddassah Leads 1-2 Finish For Kevin Attard In Fort Erie’s Prince of Wales Stakes

The fan-filled crowd cheered on Haddassah in the 86th running of the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie racetrack in Fort Erie, Ontario. The son of Air Force Blue, trained by Kevin Attard and owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, was piloted to victory by journeyman Gary Boulanger. Consulting with conditioner Attard, Boulanger was confident in his horse's ability to capture the second jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

“Kevin said he might be the most talented 3-year-old he has, but he hadn't mentally put it together. Today, he showed he did,” said Boulanger, who captured his first Prince of Wales win.

In the battle down to the wire with Attard's other trainee, Harlan Estate, Boulanger was confident his mount could get the job done in the 1 3/16-mile race over Fort Erie's dirt course.

“He's a horse that's really come into himself,” said Boulanger after steering Haddassah to victory.

Eighth in the Queen's Plate, Haddassah's conditioner Attard was extremely pleased with Haddassah heading into the Prince of Wales.

“He's trained really well since and he really matured since the Queen's Plate; he's more relaxed in his training in the mornings,” said Attard. “We elected to take him off of Lasix for the Queen's Plate and he ran without the medication today as well just because I thought it was reacting negatively to him. He put it all together today.”

Haddassah returned $15.50 to his backers. Attard's two other contenders, Harlan Estate and H C Holiday finished second and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, Tino Attard's trainee, Keep Grinding finished third.

An eventful day at Fort Erie, the program was filled with various stakes including the Rondeau Bay Stakes and the Lake Erie Stakes. Each race was part of the inaugural Ontario Sired Heritage Series, a new eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario-sired 3-year-olds, featured both at Woodbine and Fort Erie.

The Rondeau Bay Stakes went to Red Equinox with jockey Christopher Husbands. Trained by Jamie Attard for owner Norseman Racing Stable, the 3-year-old filly returned $7.80 to her backers.

After his first stakes win, trainer Jamie Attard, son of Hall of Fame trainer Sid Attard, said the victory was very special. “It's something you dream about all the time when you're growing up and thinking about getting into this business and learning from someone like my father.”

The Lake Erie Stakes was captured by Red River Rebel with jockey Rafael Hernandez for trainer Kevin Attard and owners Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stables, Inc., returning $5.10 to win.

The two cup races on the 11-race card included the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup as well as the Molson Cup.

Seau was first across the finish line in the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup. Jockey Sunny Singh picked up the mount for trainer John Simms and owner Deborah Fletcher.

“He was pretty cool the first time I sat on him a few weeks ago, and he just did everything on his own and did it all right,” said Sunny Singh from the winner's circle after the race. “He is just an awesome animal to be around, and John and his crew did a great job.”

The Molson Cup was scooped up by Feature Creature and rider Kazushi Kimura, giving owner Deborah Fletcher and trainer John Simms their second cup victory on the card.

It was a good day at the betting window with the handle hitting the $2 million mark.

There are 11 racing days left in the 2021 Fort Erie racing calendar. For more information, please visit forterieracing.com

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Air Force Blue Gelding Upsets Prince of Wales

Haddassah (Air Force Blue) took to dirt with aplomb to upset Tuesday's Prince of Wales S., the second jewel of Canada's Triple Crown.

The 6-1 chance, third in the GIII Marine S. July 11 and eighth after getting rank early in the Queen's Plate last time Aug. 22, both over the Woodbine all-weather, chased in second as they passed the Fort Erie grandstand for the first time. He remained in a perfect, stalking position through a half mile in :47.30, made his move to take over on the far turn and dug down gamely in the stretch to hold Harlan Estate (Kantharos) safe for a one-two finish for trainer Kevin Attard.

A debut winner in an off-the-turfer at Woodbine last November, the Al and Bill Ulwelling homebred was a well-beaten third in grassy allowance at Woodbine June 13 prior to his two aforementioned stakes tries.

Pedigree Notes:

This is the second stakes winner for young sire Air Force Blue and sixth stakes winner for broodmare sire Whywhywhy.

Ten-time winner and multiple stakes-placed Lady Haddassah, claimed by Al and Bill Ulwelling for $16,000 at Oaklawn in 2013, is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old gelding Haddassah's Devil (Daredevil); a yearling colt by Lookin At Lucky; and a colt by Mo Town of this year. She was bred back to Air Force Blue.

Tuesday, Fort Erie
PRINCE OF WALES S., C$400,000, Fort Erie, 9-14, (C), 3yo,
1 3/16m, 1:56.15, ft.
1–HADDASSAH, 126, g, 3, by Air Force Blue
1st Dam: Lady Haddassah (MSP, $248,164), by Whywhywhy
2nd Dam: Baby Lexi, by Storm Boot
3rd Dam: Queen's Castle, by Pleasant Tap
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Al & Bill Ulwelling (ON); T-Kevin
Attard; J-Gary Boulanger. C$240,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2,
$267,261.
2–Harlan Estate, 126, c, 3, Kantharos–Archerette, by Arch.
($39,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTKJUL; $90,000 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-ERJ
Racing, LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC &
Clay Scherer; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-Kevin Attard. C$80,000.
3–Keep Grinding, 126, c, 3, Tizway–Samsal, by Consolidator.
(C$13,000 Ylg '19 CANSEP). O-Joshua J. Attard; B-Huntington
Stud Farm Corp. (ON); T-Tino Attard. C$40,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 4. Odds: 6.75, 3.45, 4.70.
Also Ran: H C Holiday, Curlin's Catch, Tidal Forces, Avoman, Ready At Dawn. Click for the Equibase.com chart.

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