In the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last out, the 5-year-old horse finished ninth behind upset winner Town Cruise, who was also part of the Nearctic field. At the break, Momos grabbed the lead, with Town Cruise and Turned Aside second and third early. Avie's Flatter and Luis Contreras were third entering the race's only turn, going wide into the Woodbine straight.

In the stretch, Avie's Flatter showed no trouble with the yielding turf, building up momentum on the outside of Town Cruise and taking the lead with a furlong to go to win by a half-length. Turned Aside came on late to take second. Olympic Runner passed Momos to take third. Town Cruise, Jolie Olimpica, White Flag, Reconfigure, Admiralty Pier, and Lucky Curlin rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the six-furlong Nearctic was 1:10.52. Find this race's chart here.

Avie's Flatter paid $16.50, $7.30, and $5.60. Turned Aside paid $17.50 and $10.40. Olympic Runner paid $5.20.

Bred in Ontario by Tall Oaks Farm, Avie's Flatter is by Flatter out of the Empire Maker mare Avie's Empire. Owned by Ivan Dalos, the 5-year-old horse is trained by Josie Carroll. With his win in the G2 Nearctic, Avie's Flatter has three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of seven wins in 18 starts and career earnings of $932,937.

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“All three of my horses are come-from-behind horses,” Casse said of Olympic Runner (post 3, Rafael Hernandez, 6-1), Turned Aside (post 6, Kazushi Kimura, 20-1) and Lucky Curlin (post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 10-1).

Casse said “the old pro” Olympic Runner and “up-and-coming horse” Lucky Curlin, “need some pace and I think there's going to be some pace. There's some quick horses in there. If we get some pace and it falls apart, both of those horses will come running.”

The Nearctic has drawn 10 horses and will go as race 10 on Sunday, two races after the card's main event, the Grade 1 $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes.

Brandon Greer trainee Town Cruise (post 9, Daisuke Fukumoto, 2-1) is the morning line favorite, followed by Admiralty Pier (post 1, Antonio Gallardo, 7-2), White Flag (post 4, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 5-1) and then Olympic Runner.

Casse said 4-year-old Lucky Curlin has run well in his two starts this year – a victory on Aug. 22 at Woodbine in an Allowance Optional Claiming race and a second to Pink Lloyd on September 25 in the Grade 3 $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes, also at Woodbine. Lucky Curlin (Curlin-My Lady Luck by Hard Spun) has a record of 3-3-3 in 14 starts.

“Irad Ortiz is going to ride him for us,” Casse said. “He's coming in to ride in the E.P. Taylor, so he's going to ride him for us. (Lucky Curlin) belongs to Gary Barber… He won on the turf and then came back and was second in the stakes to Pink Lloyd. But he's actually pretty good on the grass. There's supposed to be some rain and I'm hoping there's a little cut in the ground and it maybe brings some of his speed back. He'll be running late.”

Casse said Olympic Runner “had kind of tough trip last time” in the Grade 1 $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile on September 18, finishing eighth in a race won by Town Cruise. Yet, it's been a productive year for Olympic Runner, a 5-year-old son of Gio Ponti-Nadadora by Carson City owned by Barber. Olympic Runner is 2-2-0 in eight starts in 2021. Olympic Runner won the Grade 2 $175,000 King Edward Stakes on August 15 at Woodbine, was second in the Grade 2 $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes on July 18 at Woodbine and was second in the Grade 3 $125,000 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park on February 27. Last year, he was fourth in the Nearctic won by Silent Poet.

As for Casse's 20-1 longshot, Turned Aside, the trainer said the 5-year-old son of American Pharoah-Sustained by War Front has been a disappointment.

“He was a really talented horse last year. We've got him this year and he's been very disappointing. He's training well. It's a tough spot, but I'm going to give it a try,” Casse said.

This year, Turned Aside's best finish is a fourth in the Turf Dash Stakes at Tampa Bay in February. Turned Aside was ninth in the Grade 2 $200,000 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland on April 3 and eighth on August 22 in the Grade 1 $350,000 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine, a race won by Silent Poet.

In his career, Turned Aside has a 4-2-1 record in 12 starts for D.J. Stable LLC and West Point Thoroughbreds. Turned Aside won the Grade 3 $100,000 Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga in 2020.

FIELD FOR THE NEARCTIC

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 — Admiralty Pier — Antonio Gallardo — Barbara Minshall

2 — Reconfigure — Eswan Flores — Robert Tiller

3 — Olympic Runner — Rafael Hernandez — Mark Casse

4 — White Flag — Emma-Jayne Wilson — Roger Attfield

5 — Avie's Flatter — Luis Contreras — Josie Carroll

6 — Turned Aside — Kazushi Kimura — Mark Casse

7 — Lucky Curlin — Irad Ortiz, Jr. — Mark Casse

8 — Momos — Patrick Husbands — Michael Trombetta

9 — Town Cruise — Daisuke Fukumoto — Brandon Greer

10 — Jolie Olimpica — Joel Rosario — Josie Carroll

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Gonzalez, whose wife, assistant trainer Martha Gonzalez, recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, watched Silent Poet, bred and owned by Stronach Stables, put on a show over six furlongs on a “good” E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

It was Silent Poet who was ushered immediately to the front by Stein in the Nearctic, the 5-year-old son of Silent Name (JPN) engaged quickly by last year's winner City Boy.

The front-running pair took the field of eight (Reconfigure was scratched) through an opening quarter-mile carved out in :23.65. Blind Ambition, in third, and Kanthaka, in fourth, tracked the pacesetting duo.

Silent Poet and City Boy continued their front-end battle through a half-mile clip timed in :46.16. The two continued to go head-to-head around the final turn as their rivals endeavored to keep them in their sights.

As the field straightened for home, it became a two-horse race for all the spoils with Silent Poet to the inside and City Boy to the outside, both digging in for the final push to the wire.

After almost every step of the 1,320 yards run, Silent Poet came out on top a half-length winner in a time of 1:08.57. City Boy finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Kanthaka, who fended off Olympic Runner by a neck for third.

In the last strides, announcer Robert Geller exclaimed, “This one's for you, Martha.”

“It has a lot of meaning,” said Stein, who is enjoying a fruitful 2020 season. “People watching on the outside might not understand, but the family here, the community at Woodbine, I'm sure they were cheering big for this horse for reasons that we all know.”

Stein, who has eclipsed the 100-win mark on the campaign, knew just what to expect from Silent Poet at the beginning of the Nearctic and at the end.

“He just leaves the gate so quick. He hits his stride right away. With a horse like that you get position and just slow him down, save as much horse as you can, and he does the rest. He loves his job, and when you ask him to run, he just gives you everything. He tows you down the lane.”

The win was the fourth from five starts in 2020 for the ultra-consistent dark bay, who now sports a record of 10-4-2 from 18 career starts.

Silent Poet now has three graded titles to his name having won this year's Connaught Cup (G2T) and the 2019 running of the Play the King (G2T).

He launched his career on August 25, 2017, finishing second in his debut before going to win his next two starts the following year.

Silent Poet paid $5.40, $3.70 and $2.80. The 5-8 exactor with City Boy ($10.60, $5.20) returned $51.60 and the 5-8-2 triactor with Kanthaka ($3.20 to show) paid $187.70. Olympic Runner completed a 5-8-2-9 superfecta worth $378.10 for $1.

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The $250,000 Nearctic goes as the ninth of 11 races on a program headlined by the $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) and $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T). The $100,000 Display Stakes, a seven-furlong main track event for two-year-olds, goes as race 10. First race post time is 1:10 p.m.

Multiple stakes winner Silent Poet, a five-year-old son of Silent Name (JPN), has won three of his past four races.

Bred and owned by Stronach Stables, Silent Poet kicked off his current campaign with an allowance score on June 11. The Ontario-bred took the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) next time out, then finished third in the King Edward Stakes (G2T) on August 15.

The Nicholas Gonzalez trainee, who has finished in the top three in 12 of his 13 past starts, heads into the Nearctic off a sharp score on September 27, a 1 ¾-length win over 6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

“He always goes out there and gives you everything he has,” said Gonzalez, of the 2019 Play the King Stakes (G2T) winner. “Even if he's beaten, it never seems to be by much. He's a very versatile horse.”

And a contented one too.

“'Poet' is such a happy horse right now… spoiled with grass and clover, mints and carrots,” shared Gonzalez. “He loves his job and that makes mine so much easier.”

Silent Poet, who has assembled a 9-4-2 record from 17 starts, faces a group of rivals that includes multiple graded stakes placed Blind Ambition, last year's Nearctic winner City Boy, graded stakes champ Guildsman, graded stakes victor Kanthaka, and Royal North Stakes (G2) winner Lady Grace.

City Boy, bred and co-owned by the late Gustav Schickedanz, returned $50.70 for his upset win in the 2019 Nearctic. Trainer Mike Keogh notched his second Nearctic title, having taken the 1999 renewal with Clever Response.

$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (Grade 2) – Race 9

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Reconfigure – Skye Chernetz – Robert Tiller

2 – Kanthaka – Luis Contreras – Graham Motion

3 – Blind Ambition – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Guildsman – Rafael Hernandez – Brendan Walsh

5 – Silent Poet – Justin Stein – Nicholas Gonzalez

6 – Lady Grace – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

7 – Vanbrugh – Daisuke Fukumoto – Brad Cox

8 – City Boy – David Moran – Mike Keogh

9 – Olympic Runner – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

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Trained by 2020 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Mike Keogh, the six-year-old gelding, bred and co-owned (with Donald Howard) by the late Gus Schickedanz, brings a record of 3-6-2 from 17 starts into the seven-furlong Connaught Cup.

“He had a fairly good winter,” said Keogh, who had City Boy and others in his barn with him in Aiken, South Carolina. “We had a lot of rain in February, so there were a lot of sealed racetracks. I didn't really get to do much with any of my horses in February. Then we had to get out of there in the third week of March, so we didn't get too much done this winter, to be honest.”

A son of multiple graded stakes winner City Zip, City Boy debuted on April 21, 2017, finishing second in a five-furlong main track race at Woodbine.

His next win came that August, a head score at six furlongs on the Woodbine turf.

Just over two years later, City Boy delivered his connections with his biggest win to date, another gutsy head victory, this time in last October's six-furlong, $280,900 Nearctic.

It was the second Nearctic triumph for Keogh, who took the 1999 renewal with Clever Response.

“No, I wasn't,” said Keogh when asked if he was caught off-guard by City Boy's performance. “We had run him two weeks previous – it was a really fast time – and he wasn't beaten that far. He was hung wide the whole way. Jesse [jockey, Campbell] got off him and said, 'This horse, he needs two races back-to-back.' I told him that I had nominated him to the Nearctic on the off chance it came up as an easier field. As it turned out, there weren't many shippers and he ran huge.”

City Boy arrives at the Connaught Cup off a sixth-place effort in a six-furlong main track race last November at Woodbine.

Saturday's stake marks the first time he'll test seven panels.

“He's doing great,” said Keogh, who campaigned Schickedanz's Wando to Canadian Triple Crown glory in 2003. “The Connaught is an unknown because he's never been seven-eighths before. We're going to give this a go. He needs to run. You can't keep working him… he goes crazy. The first start of the year, they're always that bit more on the bridle. But he needs a start. That's why we're running him.”

City Boy reminds Keogh of a Canadian horse racing legend, a standout on and off the racetrack.

“I'll tell you who he reminds me of. When I first came to Canada after [fellow Hall of Fame inductee and trainer] Jerry Meyer had brought me over from England, he was training Bold Ruckus, who was a two-year-old at that time. City Boy reminds me of Bold Ruckus, and I used to gallop him back in those days. And he's out of a Bold Ruckus mare [Princess Ruckus]. He's a horse that tries very hard. He's a lovely horse and one of my favourites.”

El Tormenta, who went on to take the 2019 Ricoh Woodbine Mile, won last year's Connaught Cup in a time of 1:20.29. Jockey Robin Platts has won a record eight editions of the race, including back-to-back runnings (1968-69) with James Bay.

The Connaught Cup is Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $175,000 CONNAUGHT CUP

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Silent Poet – Justin Stein – Nicholas Gonzalez

2 – White Flag – Luis Contreras – Christophe Clement

3 – Blind Ambition – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Admiralty Pier – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall

5 – Regally Irish – Steven Bahen – Graham Motion

6 – City Boy – Davy Moran – Mike Keogh

7 – Olympic Runner – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

8 – Gray's Fable – Rafael Hernandez – Roger Attfield

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