‘Very Nice Filly’ Rideforthecause Enters Sunday’s E.P. Taylor On Two-Race Win Streak

Seven fillies and mares will vie for top honors in Sunday's $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T), while eight starters chase top prize in the $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T) this week at Woodbine.

The 64th running of the E.P. Taylor, a 1 ¼-mile turf test for fillies & mares, 3-year-olds and upward, is complemented by a trio of stakes events, including the 67th edition of the Northern Dancer, a 1 ½-mile grass engagement for 3-year-olds and upward.

Sunday's card will also see nine starters contest the $250,000 Nearctic (G2T), while eight hopefuls face off in the $100,000 Display Stakes.

Trainer Gail Cox has a trio of talented turfers taking up the Sam-Son Farm charge, namely, Rideforthecause in the E.P. Taylor, as well as Count Again and Say the Word in the Northern Dancer.

A 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (ARG), Rideforthecause rolls into the E.P. Taylor off two straight scores, both of them contested at Woodbine.

After an allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Toronto oval Inner Turf on Aug. 1, the bay was back in the winner's circle on Sept. 12, winning the Canadian Stakes presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2) at the distance of about 1 1/8 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Sent off at 22-1, the second longest shot on the board, Rideforthecause, with jockey David Moran aboard, took the lead in mid-stretch and went on to a four-length score over mutuel favorite Cambier Parc.

“I always thought she was a very nice filly,” praised Cox. “I knew that she needed a distance of ground, and she never got to do that. A mile-and-a-sixteenth on our outer turf course isn't that far. He [Moran] had never ridden her before and he said that she just did it as easy as could be. He was quite impressed.”

“I thought she was being overlooked [in the Canadian]. That's all. I train her so I have a little different outlook. I thought she was being overlooked because it was such a perfect distance for her.”

Now, the Ontario-bred will go after her fifth win in what will be the 11th start of her career.

Cox, who campaigned Sam-Son's El Tormenta to a 44-1 shocker in last year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T), is hoping to add another graded crown to her list of accomplishments on Sunday.

“She has been doing really well this year. It seems like she has become a little more settled with age. She was, as a young horse, a bit of a handful. She was nervous, but she's become way more settled. She's doing great. I wouldn't trade places with anyone. She's training well and she looks good. I'm very happy with her.”

Court Return, a 4-year-old daughter of Court Vision, goes after her second (Eternal Search Stakes) added-money title and first graded triumph. Bred and owned by Ivan Dalos, the Ontario-bred is 3-2-1 from 11 career starts.

Etoile, from the stable of Chad Brown, will look to build off a second-place effort in the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) on Aug. 15 at Woodbine. The 4-year-old French-bred daughter of Siyouni has three wins and a pair of seconds from nine lifetime starts for the ownership group of Peter Brant, Mrs. M.V. Magnier, and Mrs. Paul Shanahan.

Multiple graded stakes winner, 4-year-old Elizabeth Way, goes for her third graded title. Trained by Roger Attfield, the daughter of Frankel won The Very One Stakes (G3T) and Nassau Stakes (G2T) this year. Owned by John McCormack, the chestnut is 3-2-2 from 12 career starts.

Pretty Point, trained by Patrick Gallagher, goes after her first stakes crown. The 4-year-old daughter of Point of Entry launched her career with three starts at Woodbine before heading to California. She arrives at the Northern Dancer off a fifth in the Rodeo Stakes Drive (G1T) on Sept. 26.

Secret Message, a 5-year-old daughter of Hat Trick (JPN), seeks her seventh win in what will be the 19th start of the dark bay's career. Trained by Graham Motion, the well-traveled dark bay mare won the 2019 running of the Nassau (G2T).

Bred and owned by Augustin Stable, Theodora B. aims for her third straight stakes score after taking the Dance Smartly (G2T) on Aug. 15 at Woodbine, and the TVG Stakes on Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs. The daughter of Ghostzapper has a record of 6-5-3 from 18 lifetime starts.

The E.P. Taylor Stakes is the final event in Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series. At the conclusion of the series, the connections of the top three point-earners will receive $75,000 in bonuses ($50,000 for first, $15,000 for second, $10,000 for third). Elizabeth Way (18 points), Rideforthecause (10 points) and Theodora B. (10 points) are the top three point-earners to date. The inaugural winner of the 2019 Ladies of the Lawn Series was Starship Jubilee, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year.

Flying Trapeze won the inaugural running of the E.P. Taylor Stakes (known as the Nettie Handicap until 1981) in 1956. Trainers Lou Cavalaris Jr., Frank Merrill Jr., and Maurice Zilber have won three editions of the race. Kitty Girl (1957, 1958) is the only two-time winner.

$600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Grade 1) – Race 7
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Rideforthecause – David Moran – Gail Cox

2 – Pretty Point – Luis Contreras – Patrick Gallagher

3 – Etoile – Rafael Hernandez – Chad Brown

4 – Theodora B. – Justin Stein – Michael Dickinson

5 – Court Return – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll

6 – Secret Message – Kazushi Kimura – Graham Motion

7 – Elizabeth Way – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

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Rideforthecause Upsets Cambier Parc In Canadian Stakes

Rideforthecause, rallying from next-to-last in the field of eight, launched a relentless rally around the final turn under rider David Moran and blew past 4-5 favorite Cambier Parc for a convincing four-length score in Saturday's $286,000 Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Gail Cox, Rideforthecause was notching her first stakes win while making her 10th career start in the Grade 2 Canadian, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

“I had a great trip,” said Moran, who was recording his second win in the Canadian after picking up the mount on successful 2012 English invader Barefoot Lady.

“She settled back there nice and relaxed,” said Moran, who was biding his time as Another Time and Amalfi Coast dueled through fractions of :23.80 and :46.55.

“I got a nice inside move just past the three to the two-and-a-half (poles), and just got myself in a good position to take on Raffi (jockey Rafael Hernandez, aboard Cambier Parc).

“And when I felt her picking up and kicking by him, I said, 'Oh, we have a shot to win this!' and she kept going very gamely.”

Rideforthecause was in front by a half-length through a mile in 1:32.75 and stopped the clock in 1:45.

Cambier Parc, coming off back-to-back Grade 1 stakes wins but making her first start in 11 months for trainer Chad Brown, sat a nice trip just outside the pacemakers and was moving for the lead as they hit the six furlongs in 1:09.49.

Although no match for the winner, the New York shipper was 2 1/4 lengths clear of Court Return for third money.

Court Return, the longest shot on the board at 30-1, trailed through the early stages but closed well for third money, 2 ¾ lengths before fourth-place Elizabeth Way.

Bold Script, Art of Almost, Another Time and Amalfi Coast rounded out the order of finish. Theodora B and Runway Dreamer were scratched.

“This filly loves this distance,” said Cox, who conditions the 4-year-old Rideforthecause for owner/breeder Sam-Son Farm. “I think she's run really well this year, she had one race where she was sort of too close to the pace and didn't run the greatest but she's a tough filly. She just hasn't had the opportunity to get the distance very often.”

“She gets a little bit wound and [having her secluded] seems to work really well for her.”

“She had me a little bit nervous, but she definitely sustained it (her rally).”

Moran agreed that getting Rideforthecause to settle was a key to victory.

“She was a little bouncy (before the race) but once we got behind the gate and took her back there, she was actually very relaxed,” said the jockey. “That might have just made the difference with her right there.”

Rideforthecause was notching her fourth career victory after knocking out her third allowance condition in her last start.

The  daughter of Candy Ride and Danceforthecause returned  $47.20, $14.50 and $9, and combined with Cambier Parc ($3.20, $2.70) for a 4-10 exacta worth $147.80. Court Return ($8.90) completed a 4-10-2 trifecta worth $1,654.90 and Elizabeth Way bottomed a 4-10-2-3 superfecta of $2,959.90 for $1.

 

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