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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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One-Eyed Mighty Heart To Bid For Canadian Triple Crown In Oct. 24 Breeders’ Stakes

OLG Canadian Triple Crown contender Mighty Heart tops a list of a dozen Canadian-bred three-year-old Thoroughbreds nominated to the 129th running of the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes.

Mighty Heart remains on target to make an historic attempt at sweeping Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing following a pair of spectacular performances in the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes last month in rein to Daisuke Fukumoto for Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll and owner/breeder Lawrence Cordes.

“It would be a great thing to accomplish, I'd certainly be thrilled,” said Carroll. “It's very seldom you get a horse that is genuinely capable of winning these races on all three surfaces and that makes it very exciting.”

The connections of 11 other sophomore stars have made the October 7 sustaining payment to remain eligible to the Breeders' Stakes, which will be contested over 1 ½ miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The one-eyed Dramedy colt opened his Triple Crown bid on Sept. 12 with a 7 ½-length triumph over 1 ¼ miles on Woodbine's Tapeta surface.

The nominations list includes Queen's Plate runner-up Belichick, a lightly raced maiden, also trained by Carroll and owned by NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods. The Lemon Drop Kid colt, who launched his career on turf in July with a rallying third-place effort over seven furlongs, has finished no worse than third in his first three career starts.

Mighty Heart and Belichick are both scheduled to work on Saturday at Woodbine in preparation for the Breeders' Stakes.

“Tomorrow will be Mighty Heart's first breeze since he ran in the Prince of Wales, so as long as everything goes well, we're pointing in that direction,” confirmed Carroll.

Mighty Heart could face another familiar foe in the Breeders' Stakes as Clayton looks to complete the tri-surface series. After winning the Plate Trial in mid-August, the Kevin Attard trainee hit the board in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales. Owned by Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe, the son of Bodemeister finished 2 ½ lengths behind Mighty Heart in the middle jewel at 1 3/16 miles over Fort Erie's dirt track on September 29.

Other Breeders' Stakes hopefuls include Conrad Farms' Muskoka Giant, who broke his maiden over one mile of turf two starts prior to his fifth-place finish in the Prince of Wales for trainer Mark Casse, and Al and Bill Ulwelling's multiple stakes placed filly Merveilleux, another Attard trainee who was a game third in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser prior to finishing sixth in the Queen's Plate.

Enchant Me, Glorious Tribute and Olliemyboy are also nominated after making an appearance in the opening legs of the Triple Crown.

Deviant, Kunal, Meyer and Pleasecallmeback complete the list of Breeders' Stakes eligibles with notable turf experience. Roger Attfield, who co-owns and conditions Pleasecallmeback, has trained three of the past seven Triple Crown winners (With Approval in 1989, Izvestia in 1990, Peteski in 1993).

In 2018, the Casse-trained filly Wonder Gadot won the first two Triple Crown races but did not compete in the Breeders' Stakes. Casse sent out Neepawa to victory in the final leg that year.

The last Triple Crown contender prior to Wonder Gadot was Wando, who was crowned just the seventh horse to complete the series sweep when he won the 2003 Breeders' Stakes with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Michael Keogh and the late owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.

Since then, A Bit O'Gold (2004), Pender Harbour (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two-thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs.

An additional $5,000 payment or supplementary fee of $12,500 is due upon entry. The entry box closes and post positions will be drawn to finalize the field for the 2020 edition of the Breeders' Stakes on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

BREEDERS' STAKES NOMINATIONS

Horse – Trainer – Owner

Belichick – Josie Carroll – NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods
Clayton – Kevin Attard – Donato Lanni and Daniel Plouffe
Deviant – Mark Casse – Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC
Enchant Me – Santino Di Paola – York Tech Racing Stable
Glorious Tribute – Barbara Minshall – Bruce Lunsford
Kunal – Steven Chircop – Vincente Stella Stables LLC
Merveilleux – Kevin Attard – Al and Bill Ulwelling
Meyer – Martin Drexler – Bruno Schickedanz
Mighty Heart – Josie Carroll – Lawrence Cordes
Muskoka Giant – Mark Casse – Conrad Farms
Olliemyboy – Sid Attard – JMJ Racing Stables LLC
Pleasecallmeback – Roger Attfield – Roger Attfield and Dan Gale

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Woodbine Pushes Back Friday Post Time Starting Oct. 16

Woodbine Entertainment announced today that Friday post times for its live Thoroughbred race cards at Woodbine Racetrack will move to 4:35 p.m. ET, effective Oct. 16.

Live racing action from the back half of Woodbine's Friday cards will be featured on TSN's Racing Night Live as the dynamic horse racing series returns this fall on Canada's Sports Leader and moves to the marquee timeslot of 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET. The two-hour broadcast will also showcase live Standardbred racing from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Woodbine Thoroughbred post times remain unchanged for Thursdays (2:15 p.m.), Saturdays (1:10 p.m.) and Sundays (1:10 p.m.).

For more information on Woodbine racing, please visit Woodbine.com.

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Credit River Among 9 Seeking Cup & Saucer Riches At Woodbine

Trainer Breeda Hayes is hoping for an encore performance from Credit River in Saturday's $250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

A 1 1/16-mile event for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds run over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the 84th running of the Cup & Saucer has drawn nine starters, including Credit River, an Ontario-bred son of More Than Ready.

Bred and owned by Hillsbrook Farms (Garnet Williamson), the colt had a dazzling debut in the $135,000 Ontario Racing Stakes on September 19 at Woodbine.

Under Emma-Jayne Wilson – who'll be aboard again Saturday – the grey outran his 41-1 odds in grand style in the second running of the five-furlong Inner Turf stakes for two-year-olds.

“It was a tough task and a tall task – I mean, a first-time starter – but he showed his talent today,” Wilson said after the victory. “I just let him get his legs, he got away from there okay, but he's not nearly as quick as those guys were early and I didn't expect him to be, so when I gathered him up and asked him to pick it up, he didn't even hesitate … he was all business.

“This horse comes by his talent honestly,” she continued. “You can see it in the form; his mom [Like a Gem] was a multiple stakes winner that I used to ride here, and one of his siblings [half sister, Hard Not to Like] was a Grade 1 winner. So to see him flourish on the turf is no surprise.”

Hayes has equally high praise for Credit River, the third black-type foal out of Like a Gem for Williamson, who campaigned Hard Not to Like to a Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) score before she was sold to Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

“My gosh, he ran huge,” said Hayes, who recorded her first career stakes win. “I was expecting him to run in a maiden race, but the maiden race didn't go. I was expecting him to gallop in that maiden race, but you know, sometimes you go with the hand that God dealt you. And it was a good one.”

She doesn't expect her young, headstrong charge to take a step backward in the Cup & Saucer.

“He'd done everything so well and so professionally ahead of his first race. He's coming into this race in great form. He is a bit of punk. He dropped me – I'd say it was more than eight weeks ago – and I landed on a fan after galloping him. All of a sudden, he exploded. Something must have caught his eye, or somebody moved something, and I wasn't ready for him. That's why Johnny [Hayes' husband] has been galloping him since. He's doing a great job, so we're not going to take him off.”

Hayes is hopeful for less drama, and a carbon copy of the 2011 Cup & Saucer result, the year Hard Not to Like beat the boys.

“He was ready three weeks before that maiden race didn't go. He's not going to be as seasoned as some of the ones that are in here, but he's fit to go the distance. I'm just crossing my fingers and hope he gets a good trip. Hopefully, he'll show a bit of that kick he did going 5/8ths. We're excited.”

Hall of Fame trainer Jim Day has won 10 editions of the Cup & Saucer, including seven straight runnings from 1984-1990.

Last year, 18-1 Muskoka Gold, bred by the late Bill Graham, delivered conditioner Mark Casse his fourth Cup & Saucer crown.

The Cup & Saucer is slated as race seven on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

Giant Waters – Rafael Hernandez – Daniel Vella
Credit River – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Breeda Hayes
Too Legit – Jerome Lermyte – Barbara Minshall
Carpe Horseshoe – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
Download – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo
Beyond My Dreams – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
Threefiftyseven – David Moran – Barbara Minshall
Dragon's Brew – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

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