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Mighty Heart Holds Off Sir Winston To Win Autumn Stakes At Woodbine

Canada's one-eyed wonder and 2020 Horse of the Year Mighty Heart showed exactly why he has that name with a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine. The 2020 Queen's Plate winner held off a late run from 2019 Belmont Stakes victor Sir Winston to take the 1 1/16-mile stakes by a half-length.

Starting from the far outside of the field of eight, jockey Patrick Husbands hustled Mighty Heart to the lead, with Primo Touch and Embolden following in second and third. Around the first turn and down the backstretch, Mighty Heart was a length to the good, running easily on the lead putting in fractions of :23.86, :47.23, and 1:11.36.

Entering the far turn, the field started to make their move, but Mighty Heart was steadfast in the lead. Sir Winston, sixth early, ran into traffic on the turn, going to the outside in the stretch to find a clear running lane. Special Forces and Halo Again were also challenging Mighty Heart in the stretch, Sir Winston driving late, but the 2020 Horse of the Year held the race safe. He was a half-length in front of Sir Winston at the wire, with Special Forces third and Halo Again fourth.

The final time was 1:42.51.

Mighty Heart paid $9.20, $4.00, and $2.30. Sir Winston paid $2.60 and $2.10. Special Forces paid $2.20.

Bred in Ontario by his owner Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart is a 4-year-old colt by Dramedy out of the City Place mare Emma's Bullseye. He is trained by Josie Carroll. With his win in the G2 Autumn, Mighty Heart has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 15 starts.

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Mighty Heart, Sir Winston Among Field Of Eight For Sunday’s Autumn Stakes At Woodbine

Eight hopefuls, including multiple graded stakes winner Special Forces, reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart, and 2019 Belmont Stakes champ Sir Winston, are set to contest the Grade 2 $175,000 Autumn Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.

A 6-year-old son of Candy Ride (ARG) trained by Kevin Attard, who co-owns with Soli Mehta, Special Forces will chase his second Autumn score, having won the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event for three-year-olds and upward two years ago.

Sporting a record of 6-6-2 from 20 starts, the chestnut, bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and Carrie and Craig Brogden, has finished in the top three in 12 straight starts and heads into Sunday's race off a win in the Grade 3 Durham Cup on Oct. 10.

Sent off at 6-1, the gelding, under Justin Stein, rallied strongly down the lane to secure a half-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile race stopping the clock in 1:42.36. Sir Winston was second, Halo Again finished third and Mighty Heart was fourth. All four are set to square off in the Autumn.

Claimed by Attard for $40,000 just over three years ago, the Durham Cup was the first trip to the winner's circle for Special Forces since taking the 2019 Autumn.

“I think he's always been a good horse,” said Attard. “Up until he got injured he was running against the best older horses on the grounds at Woodbine and was competing right with them. Any time you have to stop a horse for an extended period of time you always wonder, 'Have they lost a step?' or consider what level they'll be able to come back at. I think he's obviously put that to rest after his last race.”

Attard, three wins shy of 570 for his career, continues to be impressed by his consistent and resilient performer.

“Before we ran him the first time this year, I knew he was good and back to himself. I was eagerly awaiting him getting back to the races. There aren't many times you come back and hook a Belmont winner (Sir Winston, on August 19). We ran a good second. I was happy with the race that my horse ran.”

Special Forces made his debut on May 25, 2017, at Churchill, finishing sixth. He broke his maiden in his seventh start on August 5, 2018 in a maiden optional claiming race at Woodbine.

“He just has a great turn of foot,” raved Attard. “He really closes hard down the lane. He's an exciting horse to watch and a horse we claimed which makes it even more special just to see the improvement in him. He likes to sit at the back of the pack and come with a big run. Those ones are always exciting to watch.”

Are You Kidding Me won consecutive (2015-16) editions of the Autumn. Starting in 1920, Kentucky Derby champion and U.S. Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Exterminator, won the race three straight years.

The Autumn goes as race eight. First post for the 11-race card is 12:55 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

$175,000 AUTUMN STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Special Forces – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

2 – Vanzzy – Rafael Hernandez – Michael Pino

3 – Primo Touch (S) – Eswan Flores – Harold Ladouceur

4 – Sir Winston – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

5 – Faraway Kitten – Luis Contreras – Denyse McClachrie

6 – Halo Again – Shaun Bridgmohan – Steve Asmussen

7 – Embolden – Mauricio Malvaez – Sandra Dominguez

8 – Mighty Heart – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll

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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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Sir Winston Tries to Regain Belmont Glory in Suburban

Last season’s GI Belmont S. winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again) will attempt to return to the scene of his most important victory and try to add Saturday’s GII Suburban S. to his resume. Runner up in the GIII Peter Pan S. prior to his win in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the Tracy Farmer hombred was sidelined because of a left front ankle injury last summer. Resurfacing with a forgettable 12th after a troubled trip in a soggy renewal of the one-mile Woodchopper S. over the Fair Grounds turf Dec. 28, he bounced back to win an Aqueduct allowance over a mile Jan. 31. Most recently, the chestnut finished second in the slop in the 11-furlong Flat Out S. June 11.

“It was a lot to ask of him,” said Casse of his latest start. “There was no speed in the race and the sloppy track probably didn’t help us either. He got a little tired, but he showed gameness to even run second. I think he’ll run really well.”

Casse said the colt breezed a half-mile in :50.78 seconds June 26 on Big Sandy.

“I think he got a lot out of it,” said Casse regarding the Flat Out. “My biggest concern is that he got too much out of it. He came back and worked well. He’s a happy horse and he loves Belmont.”

Tacitus (Tapit) has proven to be an enigma, seemingly poised to take it to the next level but never quite making the transition. Out of the Grade I-winning mare Close Hatches (First Defense), the Juddmonte hombred earned a pair of graded victories early last season–the GII Tampa Bay Derby and GII Wood Memorial- before finishing fourth, but later being elevated to third via the DQ of Maximum Security (New Year’s Day)–in the GI Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont S. Runner up in Saratoga’s GII Jim Dandy S. and Travers S., he rounded out the season with a third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. Fifth in the Saudi Cup in February, the roan was slated to run in the Dubai World Cup but was re-routed after that program was canceled due to COVID-19 and most recently finished fourth in the GII Oaklawn H. May 2. The front-running Mr. Buff (Friend or Foe) accounted for five of nine races in 2019, including five stakes victories, four of those against state-bred company. Winner of Aqueduct’s Jazil S. against open company last term, he successfully defended his title in the Jan. 25 renewal of the race before adding a 20-length score in the Haynesfield S. for Empire breds Feb. 22. Moretti (Medaglia d’Oro), who finished second in his first two starts of the season, won his two latest, including the Flat Out S. most recently. Javier Castellano, responsible for both recent wins, gets the call Saturday.

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