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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From Oak Bluff To The Queen’s Plate: Cole Bennett Is A Truebeliever

Regardless of the number he sees displayed beside his horse's number on the toteboard when the Queen's Plate gates open, 23-year-old trainer Cole Bennett will be smiling.

It's a day he's dreamed of the moment he watched jockey Patrick Husbands and super filly Lexie Lou win the 2014 Plate for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse.

'What if that were me one day?' the then teenager from Oak Bluff (population 1,051), Manitoba, said to himself as he watched Lexie Lou surrounded by her elated connections in the Woodbine winner's circle after the 155th edition of Canada's most famous horse race.

That was one year before Bennett, raised on a 27-acre hobby farm, launched his own training career at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg.

Now, in his sixth year as a trainer, and based at Woodbine, he doesn't have to ask himself that question any longer.

Bennett, who at age of 14 bought a racehorse with his father, Glen, has his answer.

“I'm pretty excited to be in the Queen's Plate. It's always been a dream and now it's turned into a reality.”

His hopes in the 161st edition of the “Gallop for the Guineas” are carried on the hooves of the aptly named Truebelieve, who sports a 2-1-0 record from five starts for owner Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc.

The son of Nephrite (GB), bred by Laurel Byrne, delivered a 64-1 score (for different connections) in his debut last November at Woodbine, crossing the wire a 1 ½-length winner at five furlongs over the Tapeta.

Truebelieve earned his second career win two starts ago when the colt rallied for a half-length victory at six furlongs over the Woodbine main track.

Bennett believes the bay, second in the Kingarvie Stakes last December, will be up for the challenge when he contests one of horse racing's most iconic events.

The same can also be said of the conditioner.

Launching his training career in 2015 at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Bennett has already made a name for himself in racing circles.

Confidence in his abilities is complemented by an open mind and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement.

These days, the man who won a career-best 15 races four years ago is taking a measured approach in the lead-up to Saturday's $1 million classic.

He knows the butterflies will come sooner rather than later.

Even so, Bennett, who has a pair of added-money wins to date, isn't the type to be rattled.

For the past six years, the Plate has been a pursuit, albeit a back-of-mind hope, for him. Whether that dream would ever come to fruition felt like a 99-1 longshot at times.

Last winter, that all changed.

“I actually really liked Truebelieve last year when he first ran,” said Bennett, of the dazzling debut on November 2 at Woodbine. “The person who had him before us, I know he was trying to sell him. I had a couple of clients that I was trying to get to buy him. But we could just never get the deal done.

“I started talking to Dominic (DiLalla, of Centennial Farms), and he had purchased the horse in January. There were no definite plans for me training the horse at that point, but I knew I liked the horse, so I mentioned to Dominic that if he was ever in a spot, and if he was trying to figure out what he was going to do with horse, I really like him and I'd love to train him. It turned out that I got to train all the Centennial horses starting this March.”

Bennett has no shortage of praise for Truebelieve.

“He's a horse that you just know he's good. He's smart. He's very much a horse that likes his routine. He liked being at the racetrack – he's all racehorse. But everything has to go his way in order to keep him happy. He's a serious horse. He looks the part, he's really well built, he has a great body, and he just has a great attitude about everything.”

Whether it all adds up to a Plate shocker like the 82-1 jaw-dropper T J's Lucky Moon and jockey Steven Bahen delivered in the 2002 running remains to be seen.

For the man who mapped out Truebelieve's date in the big dance, all of it is, quite literally, a dream come true.

“As a kid, I was a big Patrick Husbands fan and I remember that Plate in 2014 as if it were yesterday. That was the one that really stuck out for me. A filly winning it, I admired Mark Casse – it's one that I'll always remember.”

One that will now slot into the runner-up spot on Bennett's list of most memorable Queen's Plates.

“I think… it's not proof to other people, but proof to myself that I can do this. I started training when I was really young. There was doubt from a lot of other people, but also from myself, in that you can make a living being a trainer and get to bigger places and run in bigger races. It was almost a pipe dream at one point.”

Not anymore.

Two days ahead of the Queen's Plate post position draw and five days before the biggest day of his career, odds are Bennett will soon envision another dream.

“To be in this race, it really is a dream come true. To win it, that would be the ultimate.”

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Mr Ritz Repeats As Betting Favorite In Seagram Cup At Woodbine

Defending champion Mr Ritz was the star of the show once again in the $125,000 Seagram Cup (Grade 3) on Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll conditions the winner, who turned in a gate-to-wire effort with Patrick Husbands aboard. Husbands, who also partnered with Carroll to win the 2011 edition of the Seagram Cup with James Street, earned his fifth victory in the 1 1/16-mile stakes event for older horses.

Explode applied early pressure to the front-runner through splits of :24.28 and :47.95, with recent Eclipse Stakes winner Skywire looming at the rail and Cooler Mike three-wide before offering up a challenge past three-quarters in 1:11:87. However, 6-5 favorite Mr Ritz turned back all challengers down the stretch to prevail by two lengths in 1:43.28.

Second prize went to Skywire, who finished a half-length in front of Cooler Mike. Avie's Flatter, also trained by Carroll, closed four-wide on the turn to claim fourth-place. Jungle Fighter, Tiz a Slam, Perfect Tapatino and Explode completed the field.

“When he made the lead, I was a little worried with that horse [Explode] pressuring him, but he was so relaxed,” said Carroll in a post-race interview. “You could tell he was very relaxed and then we he got a :24 [quarter], I said, 'You know what, they're not going to catch him today.'”

Mr  Ritz returned $4.60 to win.

Earle Mack owns and bred the British-bred son of Oasis Dream who opened his 5-year-old campaign finishing third behind stablemate Avie's Flatter and Skywire in the Eclipse on July 4.

“I was a little bit disappointed [in his season's debut], but he definitely got a little tired. He needed that race, he had all winter off and it showed a little bit,” said Carroll. “We thought he was very, very tight – he had been excelling in his works – but there's nothing like a race to really tighten him up, especially at this level of competition.”

Mr Ritz now sports a career record reading 6-3-2 from 13 starts with earnings approaching the half-million-dollar mark.

“He's won stakes on both surfaces. I think he's just a good older horse that's coming into himself,” said Carroll.

The conditioner also watched Woodbine Oaks eligible filly Avie's Samurai ($8.60) win a 6 1/2 furlong allowance race later on the card. Ivan Dalos' homebred stakes-placed filly got up late to prevail by a neck over the favored Sav in 1:16.39 in rein to Luis Contreras.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Thursday, with the 30th day of the meet featuring eight races, beginning at 3:20 p.m. Racing Night Live returns at 6 p.m. on TSN with the two-hour broadcast covering action from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park.

PHOTOS: Mr. Ritz and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the $125,000 Seagram Cup (Grade 3) on Sunday, July 26 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)

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Canadian Champion Curlin’s Voyage Wins Woodbine Oaks Prep In Frantic Finish

Canadian champion filly Curlin's Voyage nosed out 65-1 longshot Justleaveitalone in a photo finish to win the $125,000 Fury Stakes for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Patrick Husbands guided the Curlin–Atlantic Voyage filly to victory in the seven-furlong stepping-stone to the Triple Tiara, which kicks off with the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser over 1 1/8 miles on August 15.

Trying Woodbine's Tapeta surface for the first time and putting her perfect five-race win streak on the line, Infinite Patience, co-owned by Edmonton Oilers player Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and breeder William DeCoursey, set a pressured pace through panels of :23.74 and :46.59 with the maiden filly Justleaveitalone in hot pursuit.

Curlin's Voyage stalked the top pair along the rail then fanned three-wide on the final turn with fellow Josie Carroll trainee Avie's Samurai joining the fray in a four-across battle down the stretch.

Curlin's Voyage ultimately persevered, edging out Justleaveitalone by a head in a final time of 1:23.91, with Infinite Patience settling for third, one length behind after her gutsy effort. Avie's Samurai finished fourth with Mizzen Beau and Gun Society completing the order of finish.

 “Going down the back, it was a lot of 'cat and mouse' game,” said Husbands, who has won five previous editions of the Fury – all with Mark Casse trainees – including last year's race with Speedy Soul.

“About the three-eighths pole, I had enough of this, I just had to get in gear and get the job done.”

Sent postward as the 6-5 favourite, the winner returned $4.60.

Curlin's Voyage was voted Canada's 2019 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for her $265,000 juvenile campaign in which she went 3-1-1 in six starts, including a pair of stakes wins over 1-1/16 miles (Grade 3 Mazarine and Ontario Lassie).

Husbands picked up the mount for her final start last year in the Ontario Lassie and also guided her to a runner-up finish in her sophomore debut in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes on June 13.

“To me, she's a better filly going two turns and we look forward to her next race,” said the Triple Crown-winning jockey.

Curlin's Voyage is co-owned by breeder Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing. She is eligible to the Oaks as well as The Queen's Plate (September 12), assessed as the 3-1 third choice in the Winterbook.

Carroll, who trained the 2006 Fury champion Gumboots, has won the Queen's Plate twice, with Edenwold (2006) and Inglorious (2011) — also the winner of the Oaks that year.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues, without spectators, on Thursday at the Toronto oval with an eight-race program beginning at 3:45 p.m. Racing Night Live will feature action from Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET on TSN1 and TSN3.

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