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Zayas Guides Face Of Victory To Winner’s Circle In Claiming Crown Express

Under a heads-up ride by Edgard Zayas, Mercy Man Racing's Face of Victory ($11) captured Saturday's $75,000 Express, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that have run for a claiming price of $8000 or less in 2020-2021.

A split-second decision at the 3/8ths pole was the key to the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 5-year-old gelding's upset victory over heavily favored Kalu, who broke sharply to take the early lead. Face of Victory, who broke from the rail post position and was ridden aggressively by Zayas, slipped inside the favorite on the backstretch. Gulfstream's Fall Meet titlist quickly thought better of an inside challenge, easing up on his mount long enough to be able to guide him off the rail to make an outside challenge in the stretch. Face of Victory kicked on through the stretch to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths.

“Saffie gave me a lot of confidence in the paddock. He said, 'Take it to [Kalu]. His only weakness is at the end where he tends to stop a little bit. He said, 'Take it to him early if you can. Make him earn his money,'” Zayas said. “At the three-eighths pole, the other horse started to make his move early. At that point, I gave my horse a little breather and took him outside. He came running at the end.”

Face of Victory, who was claimed for $10,000 in August, ran six furlongs in 1:10.52 to upset Kalu, who held on to second by a head over third-place finisher Aequor.

Zayas and Joseph came right back to win the $95,000 Tiara in the following race with Sugar Fix.

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Artie’s Storm Gets Second Straight Stakes Victory In Steady Growth At Woodbine

In other stakes action, Artie's Storm took the $101,200 Steady Growth, for three-year-olds and upward, contested at 1 1/16-miles on the Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

It was the second straight stakes score for the dark bay son of We Miss Artie-Tiz Stormy Now, who came into the Steady Growth off a victory in the Lake Ontario Stakes on November 19.

“He's a lovely horse,” said winning rider David Moran. “He always tries. He's been running in tough races all year. Back-to-back stakes for him and he won going away today. I was afraid I was having to move a little soon, they went quick up front, and I just wanted to get out from behind that wall before they stopped, and he picked up and ran right through the wire.”

The winning margin was 1 ¼-lengths. Full Extreme was second, and Magical Man finished third. Argentium was scratched.

The final time was 1:44.04.

Owned and trained by Paul Buttigieg, Artie's Storm, bred by Sunrise Farm, is now 4-2-3 from 10 starts.

He paid $7.20 for the win.

Live racing resumes tomorrow – Sunday is the final day of the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred meet – with the first post at 12:55 p.m. The feature is the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes.

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Silent Causeway Gives Trainer Krasauskaite First Stakes Victory In La Prevoyante

Laura Krasauskaite earned her first training stakes win courtesy of Silent Causeway in Saturday's $100,800 La Prevoyante Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

After some early drama in the 1 1/16-mile main track event for Ontario-sired fillies, 3-year-olds and upward, Silent Causeway was full of run late to deliver herself and her trainer-owner a milestone victory.

Sent off as the 9-2 third choice in the field of 10, Silent Causeway was at the back of the pack into the first turn when some jostling between two rivals required some quick maneuvering from jockey Justin Stein, aboard the daughter of Silent Name (JPN)-Good Religion.

It was Silver Dahlia and Summer Sunday, along with a host of others, who tussled for the early lead, with the former holding a head advantage over the latter through an opening quarter-mile timed in :24.23, with Silent Causeway sitting last.

Summer Sunday, the multiple stakes-winning champion contesting her final race before heading to Ireland to become a broodmare, then took over the top spot and guided her rivals through a half-mile in :47.72, as Silent Causeway moved into the ninth spot.

November Fog, the slight 2-1 choice, engaged Summer Sunday around the turn for home and soon struck front while Stein had his charge rolling down the lane.

Fourth and gaining at the stretch call in 1:38.59, Silent Causeway, runner-up in last year's Algoma Stakes, went on to notch a two-length victory in a time of 1:45.62. November Fog was second, and Golden Vision was third. Summer Sunday was fifth.

“Going into the first turn, there was a little bit of trouble for a horse in front of me,” started Stein. “It almost unseated the rider and I had to kind of anticipate maybe riding around a spill, but we adjusted and worked out a trip from there.”

There was no drama or doubt as to the winner in the latter stages of the La Prevoyante.

“She's got a lot of talent and a lot of heart,” said Stein. “When she comes over, she's happy. She's really effective. She shows up every time.”

Krasauskaite was understandably elated to record her first stakes win.

“This is amazing… I'm still shaking. I can't believe that I won a stakes race. It was so close last year, so close, but this year we finally did it. Closing the season with a stakes win is an amazing feeling.”

The multiple stakes placed conditioner wasn't concerned with the ground Silent Causeway, bred by Michael Deegan, had to make up.

“I was very positive. Looking at her and seeing how she runs, I knew we'd be coming.”

Silent Causeway, now 3-5-1 from 15 starts, paid $11.50 for the win.

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Miles Ahead Best In Claiming Crown Rapid Transit At Gulfstream

David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa's Miles Ahead, a graded-stakes winner in a race for horses that have raced for a claiming price of $35,000 or less in 2020-2021, flaunted his class Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained 4-year-old gelding, who captured the Grade 3 Smile Sprint on the July 3 Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream, closely stalked the pace set by Legal Deal before moving to the lead at the top of the stretch and prevailing by a comfortable 1 ½ lengths in the $85,000 Rapid Transit.

The seven-furlong Rapid Transit was one of nine starter stakes in the Saturday's Claiming Crown, an annual event that celebrates the blue-collar horses that support daily racing programs at racetracks throughout the country.

Miles Ahead ($4.60) broke his maiden for a $12,500 claiming price by 12 ¼ lengths in January 2020 after being eased in his debut over turf. The son of Competitive Edge has steadily improved with age while establishing himself as one of the top sprinters on dirt in South Florida.

Miles Ahead ran seven furlongs in 1:21.99 to give jockey Paco Lopez his fourth victory of the day, including three Claiming Crown wins.

Legal Deal, ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, finished second, two lengths ahead of Pudding and jockey Leonel Reyes.

Miles Ahead is likely to return to open stakes company for his next start.

“There's a $100,000 race in Maryland (Dec. 26 Dave's Friend), and there's a race here (G3 Harlan's Holiday, Dec. 19) that's coming up a little too quick,” Plesa said.

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