British Royalty Crowned The Winner Of Breeders’ Stakes

It was coronation day for British Royalty, who closed out the OLG Canadian Triple Crown with an impressive triumph in the 130th running of the $401,600 Breeders' Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.

A bay son of English Channel, British Royalty, who had been claimed away from trainer and co-owner Barb Minshall this summer, made his Triple Crown series debut a successful one, sprinting away from his rivals with ease to win the race for Canadian-foaled three-year-olds.

Facing a field that included Queen's Plate winner Safe Conduct, Plate runner-up Riptide Rock, Prince of Wales Stakes champ Haddassah, and a host of other talented turf types, British Royalty had his work cut out for him.

On an overcast day at the Toronto oval, he came shining through with a top-shelf score.

It was Safe Conduct who seized control of the 1 ½-mile grass marathon, as Haddassah, in second, and Keep Grinding, in third, kept close tabs on the leader, while Patrick Husbands had British Royalty comfortably settled in seventh spot through an opening quarter in :25.00.

The Plate winner continued to call the shots through a half-mile reached in :51.53 as Collective Force, now second, shadowed the pacesetter's every move. Husbands guided British Royalty into sixth spot, as the gelding and Riptide Rock started to gain momentum on the frontrunners.

Safe Conduct soon found himself under siege from both sides, as Collective Force battled on gamely, and British Royalty found another gear, blasting to the lead and holding a one-length advantage on a surging Riptide Rock at Robert Geller's stretch call reached in 2:09.05.

At the wire, British Royalty was a convincing and deserving four-length victor.

Riptide Rock and Collective Force, second and third respectively, were well ahead of their nearest rivals. Harlan Estate was fourth in the race contested over yielding ground. The final time was 2:34.00.

Sent off at 24-1, British Royalty returned $51.20 for the win, marking his second victory in nine career starts.

For Minshall, who lost the horse to a claim on July 11 and then claimed him back on July 24, the win was one of the most rewarding of her career.

“I was looking to win a race, and I took a chance, and I was very upset with myself for taking such a chance,” recalled the champion conditioner, who co-owns the horse with Bruce Lunsford. “And lo and behold, the horse is back in the next time, he runs two weeks later, and I couldn't get in there fast enough to get him back. I knew I made a huge mistake. So, I'm really happy.”

Husbands, who won the 2003 Canadian Triple Crown with Wando, and recorded his fifth Breeders' Stakes title, was understandably thrilled to partner with the Richard Lister-bred sophomore for the first time.

“My agent (Leroy Trotman) came to my house, and he said to me, 'I got a ride for you, but will you look at the form?' I said, 'Leroy, that's what I pay you for. I want to get your opinion.' He said that Barb (Minshall) said you can come and work the horse and if you don't like it, she won't be mad at you. I came and breezed the horse, about 20 minutes later my agent asked me how the horse went. I said please don't tell Barbie, but this horse is light. I've ridden him the last two breezes, and he went twice on softer turf, and he ran (today) the way I expected he would run.”

Emma-Jayne Wilson, aboard Safe Conduct, had high praise for the eighth-place finisher.

“I mean, he's fantastic. I followed him since last year. Obviously, the trainer asked about me about riding him when he was a two-year-old. I've been keeping close tabs on him ever since. So, I mean kudos and congratulations for winning the (Queen's) Plate. I was hoping I could get them another jewel of the crown, but it wasn't our day to day.”

The Breeders' win marked an outstanding weekend for Lunsford, whose homebred Art Collector took yesterday's Grade 1 Woodward at Belmont.

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Skygaze Romps To Victory In Belle Mahone At Woodbine

Skygaze, full of run late under rider Patrick Husbands, dashed away from her rivals with ease down the stretch en route to a three-length win in Sunday's $100,000 Belle Mahone Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Mark Casse, who won both Woodbine stakes on Saturday, Skygaze, a four-year-old daughter of American Pharoah-Skyscape, broke alertly in the Belle Mahone and sat second to pacesetter Fate Factor, who led the way through the opening quarter timed in :24.79.

Skygaze continued to track Fate Factor through a half in :48.73, but by the three-quarters mark, the positions were reversed.

It was game over mid-way down the lane as Skygaze romped to her fifth victory from 11 career starts for owner Tracy Farmer.

Crystal Glacier, also a Casse trainee, was second, a neck ahead of No Mo Lady. Art of Almost, another Casse charge, was fourth. Final time for the race was 1:42.72.

“By the three-quarter pole, I was loaded,” said Husbands. “She was the best today.”

It was the first stakes win for Skygaze, who was bred by Normandy Farm LLC. She was third in the 2019 edition of the Grade 3 Mazarine and third in the Grade 3 Trillium on June 26, her last start before the Belle Mahone.

“Last time I rode her, she was a little bit quiet,” noted Husbands. “Today, I went alone and warmed her up. It showed in her form that she likes to be in the race and the last time I rode her, she was flat the whole way with me. Today, she showed me that she really wanted to be in the race. She showed she was the best.”

Skygaze paid $5.50 to win.

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Il Malocchio Rallies To Win Bison City Stakes At Woodbine

Il Malocchio, coming off a third-place finish in the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, stalked the pace from fourth and rallied smartly through the lane to give trainer Marty Drexler the biggest win of his career in Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

In winning the 1 1/16-mile Bison City by half-length under Patrick Husbands, Il Malocchio dispatched of five fellow Canadian-bred fillies, including the highly fancied Miss Speedy, who faltered to finish fourth at odds of 2-5.

“She ran a big race today,” said Husbands, who was riding his leading eighth stakes winner of the meeting. “Last time she tricked me. By the quarter-pole, I thought I had the race won, but when I asked her she paused for about three strides and those three strides cost me the Oaks.

“Today, before we swung for home, I made sure I had her in gear.”

The Bison City unfolded as expected with Miss Speedy, unbeaten in two previous starts, went straight to the front from her inside post and led by 2 ½ lengths through a quarter in :23.57 and a half in :46.68.

And while she maintained a 2 ½ lengths lead through six furlongs in 1:11.13, her supremacy was about to be threatened as first Emmeline and then Il Malocchio loomed large.

Emmeline, who had nosed out Il Malocchio for second money in the 1 1/8 mile Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, had raced closest to Miss Speedy throughout and had led by a head over Il Malocchio with a furlong to run, only to succumb grudgingly as they stopped the clock in 1:43.42.

The second-place finish was the fourth straight for the hard-luck Emmeline, who remains a maiden after seven starts.

Cielo d'Oro closed for third money, three lengths behind the runner-up and three-quarters of a length before Miss Speedy.

Miss Marie and Youens rounded out the order of finish.

Owned and bred by Franco Meli, Il Malocchio placed in a pair of Woodbine stakes at age two and was sent south to trainer Kenny McPeek with a long-term eye toward the Woodbine Oaks. After finishing third in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Il Malocchio was up the track in the Fair Grounds Oaks but then finished a good second in a 1 1/8 mile allowance race at Keeneland with Kenny McPeek as her trainer of record.

Back home with Drexler at Woodbine, Il Malocchio opened up with a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong Fury before her solid effort in the Woodbine Oaks, where she was beaten 1 ¼ lengths.

“She's special,” said Drexler. “In my barn, we run a lot of cheaper, middle claimers. We don't have a lot of horses like this. It's nice to get one that you can play on this stage.”

Sent off as the 9-2 third choice, Il Malocchio returned $11.50 and topped a $33.60 with the 4.40-1 Emmeline. Cielo d'Oro, at 15-1, rounded out a $198.10 trifecta with Miss Speedy completing a $1 superfecta worth $207.75.

The Bison City followed the Woodbine Oaks as the second leg of Canada's triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. The $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at 1 ¼ miles on E.P. Taylor Turf Course, concludes the series on October 2.

“She gives it all; she's going to be getting close to being over the top”, said Drexler. “But, I have to think that's where we're going to aim.”

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Our Flash Drive Gives Casse, Live Oak Another Woodbine Stakes Win

Live Oak Plantation sent out two starters in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen, but it was the Mark Casse trainee Our Flash Drive who brought home the win in the one-mile turf event at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Under Patrick Husbands, the daughter of Ghostzapper stalked Sweet Souper Sweet throughout the first six furlongs, took over the front on the final turn, and skipped away to a two-length win in the G3 stakes on the Queen's Plate undercard.

Coming off her last-out win in the Grade 3 Selene, also at Woodbine, Our Flash Drive broke out of the second post cleanly, Husbands taking up position behind fellow Live Oak horse Sweet Souper Sweet, trained by Michael Trombetta, who held a one-length lead, with Speightstown Shirl third. Through early fractions of :24.42 for the first quarter and :48.35 for the half-mile, Sweet Souper Sweet held onto front runner status until the final turn. Husbands moved Our Flash Drive to the lead with ease, entering the stretch on the lead.

In the race's final furlongs, Our Flash Drive increased her lead while Seasons and Speightstown Shirl moved into second and third as they approached the wire. Perseverancia was fourth, with Misspell, I Get It, and Sweet Souper Sweet rounding out the field.

The final time for the one-mile G3 Ontario Colleen was 1:34.76 over a firm E.P. Taylor turf course. Find this race's chart here.

Our Flash Drive paid $6.90, $3.50, and $2.70. Seasons paid $6.20 and $3.90. Speightstown Shirl paid $2.90 to show.

Our Flash Drive is a 3-year-old filly bred in Florida by owner Live Oak. She is by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper out of the unraced Dynaformer mare Dynamotor. Her win in the G3 stakes race brings her to a perfect 3-for-3 in 2021 and a lifetime record of three wins in five starts for career earnings of $180,937. Our Flash Drive is Mark Casse's fourth winner of the Ontario Colleen in the last five years, with Enstone (2017), Got Stormy (2018), and Chart (2020) also winning for the Hall of Fame trainer.

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