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Special Forces Surprises In Durham Cup At Woodbine

After losing the 2019 edition of the Grade 3 Durham Cup by a nose, Special Forces made his 2021 try a winning one, taking the 1 1/16-mile stakes by a half-length over 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Under jockey Justin Stein, Special Forces ran last of five early, with Tap It to Win taking the lead in the race's opening strides. Stein kept the 6-year-old gelding on the outside of Sir Winston, waiting until the far turn to swing three-wide as Tap It to Win and Halo Again battled for the lead. In the stretch, the two leaders continued to duel, Halo Again taking over as Tap It to Win tired, with Mighty Heart, Sir Winston, and Special Forces bunched up to their outside. Stein sent Special Forces running up on Halo Again's outside in the final furlong, with Sir Winson trying to split them to bid for the lead.

When Halo Again lugged in slightly, bumping Sir Winston, Special Forces was able to pull ahead to hit the wire in front. Halo Again, Mighty Heart, and Tap It to Win rounded out the field. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.36 over the Woodbine all-weather course.

The inquiry sign went up after the contact between Halo Again and Sir Winson. Stewards made no change to the order of finish.

Special Forces paid $15.60, $4.80, and $4.10. Sir Winston paid $3.20 and $3.10. Halo Again paid $5.10.

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, and Craig Brogden, Special Forces is by Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me. He is co-owned by Soli Mehta and trainer Kevin Attard. Special Forces was consigned by Select Sales and sold to Global Thoroughbreds for $220,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The G3 Durham Cup is the gelding's first win of 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 20 starts.

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Lobo Has Imperador, In Love Tabbed For Breeders’ Cup At Del Mar

Trainer Paulo Lobo already had one horse in his stable with a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup in Imperador (ARG) before Saturday. By 6 p.m. yesterday, In Love (BRZ) had punched his ticket to Del Mar with a 1½-length victory in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile.

Lobo said that In Love as well as stablemate Ivar (BRZ) both returned to The Thoroughbred Center on the other side of Lexington last night and were doing fine Sunday morning. Ivar, in his first start in more than five months, finished fourth after a troubled trip in his bid to repeat in the Turf Mile.

In Love, who provided jockey Alex Achard with his first Grade 1 victory, earned a berth in the Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, a race in which Ivar was fourth last year here at Keeneland and remains under consideration for this year.

Imperador earned his spot in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf with a victory in course-record time in the Grade 2 Calumet Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., last month.

All three horses are owned by Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I. Lobo said he would ship his Breeders' Cup runners to Del Mar on Nov. 1.

The defending champion in the Breeders' Cup Mile, Order of Australia (IRE), finished last in the field of 12 in the Keeneland Turf Mile.

“He was a disappointment,” said Kieran Murphy, who is overseeing trainer Aidan O'Brien's horses at Keeneland. “He had a tough draw, 10 of 13, and he doesn't like to be in around other horses. He will leave tonight for Chicago and then fly home tomorrow.”

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Campanelle Heads Field For Friday’s Franklin County At Keeneland

Stonestreet Stables' Campanelle (IRE), a two-time Group 1 winner in Europe, heads a field of 12 fillies and mares entered Sunday for Friday's 25^th running of the $150,000 Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County going 5½ furlongs on the turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The Buffalo Trace Franklin County will go as the ninth race on Friday's 10-race program with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post Friday is 1 p.m.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Campanelle will be making her first start since being unplaced in the Group 1 Prix de Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, France in August. Joel Rosario will have the mount Friday and exit post position four.

Also figuring to attract interest are the 1-2 finishers from last month's Grade 3 Mint Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., In Good Spirits and Catch a Bid.

Bal Mar Equine's In Good Spirits, trained by Al Stall Jr., scored a two-length victory at Kentucky Downs and in the race prior to that was runner-up in the Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July. John Velazquez has the mount on In Good Spirits, who will leave from post position five.

Highlander Training Center's Catch a Bid, trained by Joe Sharp, won the West Virginia Senate President's Cup at Mountaineer Park in New Cumberland, W. Va., in August prior to her Kentucky Downs race. She drew post position six and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

The field for the Buffalo Trace Franklin County, with riders and weights from the inside, is: She's So Special (Flavien Prat, 120), Ambassador Luna (James Graham, 120), Lagertha (CHI) (Hector Berrios, 120), Campanelle (IRE) (Rosario, 122), In Good Spirits (Velazquez, 122), Catch a Bid (Gaffalione, 120), Lead Guitar (Ricardo Santana Jr., 120), Violenza (Chris Landeros, 120), Elle Z (Mitchell Murrill, 120), Yes It's Ginger (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., 120), Signify (Florent Geroux, 120), Change of Control (Colby Hernandez, 122).

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Not So Quiet Repeats In Overskate At Woodbine

Not So Quiet defended his Overskate Stakes title in impressive fashion Saturday at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto, Ontario.

Originally slated for 7 ½-furlongs on the Inner Turf, the Ontario-sired Overskate was changed to seven panels on the Tapeta after the Greater Toronto area saw steady rainfall on Friday evening through to Saturday.

Not So Quiet, under Rafael Hernandez, rained on everyone's parade in the Toronto oval's $100,000 feature.

Just as he did last year, the Mark Casse trainee arrived at the Overskate off a win in the Vice Regent Stakes.

It was longshot Derzkii, to the outside, and Not So Quiet who were running one-two, respectively, through an opening quarter of :23.02, but by the time the field of eight (Desolator was scratched) reached the half-mile marker in :45.76, Not So Quiet was a head on top.

Hernandez and the six-year-old son of Silent Name began to easily expand their lead around the turn for home. By the time the stretch drive got underway, Not So Quiet was already widening his advantage with ease and was volumes the best at the wire, winning by 3 ½-lengths in a time of 1:21.46.

Told It All rallied to finish second, Wave Baby was third and Derzkii was fourth.

Hernandez doled out high marks for the Heste Sport homebred who has enjoyed success at various distances and on different surfaces.

“He's nice. Last race [Vice Regent], he impressed me on the turf. He came running down the lane. It was the most impressive race he had so far. But he can do anything… he can do turf, he can do synthetic, he can be on the lead, come from off the pace. No matter how the race sets up for him, he finds a way to keep going.”

Not So Quiet, who paid $3.30 to win as the 3-5 second choice, is 8-0-2 from 16 career starts.

It was a big day for Casse, who won five races on the card: Similar Taste (Race 1), Ostracize (Race 2), Swot Analysis (Race 4), La Libertee (Race 5), and Not So Quiet (Race 9).

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