Breaking Lucky could spring mild upset in Dominion Day

A busy Canada Day weekend at Woodbine kicks off on Friday with nine races starting at the traditional 1 p.m. post with a pair of added-money events on offer highlighted by the $150,000 Grade 3 Dominion Day Handicap.

Breaking Lucky competed in the Queen’s Plate last year and finished a quite decent fifth, beaten just four lengths at 21-1 in the 1 ¼-mile showpiece.  On Friday, Breaking Lucky will be traveling the same distance while in peak form and could spring a mild upset for trainer Reade Baker.

Red Rifle, the defending champion in the Dominion Day, will be invading from south of the border along with War Dancer and Scuba. Locally-based stakes winner Melmich completes a compact field of five. 

Breaking Lucky followed up on his promising Plate effort with a victory in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the 1 3/16 Prince of Wales on the dirt at Fort Erie. After finishing up the track in the Breeders’ Stakes, the 1.5 mile turf race which concludes the triple, Breaking Lucky wound up his campaign with a third-place finish here in the 1 1/8 mile Ontario Derby.

Wintering with trainer Reade Baker at Palm Meadows, Breaking Lucky traveled to Tampa Bay Downs for his seasonal bow and finished a close third in the 1 1/16-mile Challenger. Stopping over at Keeneland on his way home to Woodbine, Breaking Lucky contested the Grade 3, 1 1/8-mile Ben Ali and ran third behind Eagle and Noble Bird, who had become a Grade 1 winner in last year’s Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Eagle went on to finish second in this year’s 1 1/8-mile Foster.

Six weeks later, in his local seasonal bow, Breaking Lucky was compromised by a slow pace set by front-running winner Are You Kidding Me here in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Eclipse but closed well to finish second, two lengths back.

Are You Kidding Me came back to finish a creditable fifth in the Stephen Foster, beaten just 2 ¾-lengths. All of which makes Breaking Lucky’s company lines look good coming into the Dominion Day. 

“I think I’ve got the best horse,” said Baker. “He’s doing super. He couldn’t be any better; it’s not possible.” 

And yet, Baker is concerned that the race shape again may conspire against the Gunpowder Farms LLC runner.

“There’s no pace,” said Baker. “It could be a strange-run race. He’s never been on the lead, but we might be this time.”

Regular rider Jim McAleney retains the mount.

Southern Ring, who won the Ruling Angel Stakes on the Polytrack last fall and returned from a seven-month layoff to score impressively on the turf here May 20, looms as the one to beat in the Zadracarta Stakes, the supporting feature on Friday’s card.

Dimension had been in a slump since winning the Kentucky Turf Dash at Kentucky Downs in September of 2014.

The 8-year-old gelding, trained by Conor Murphy, had gone on to finish 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, 10th there in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, and off the board in three subsequent starts including Woodbine’s 2015 edition of the Grade 2 Connaught Cup.

But Dimension has turned it around this season after being off for seven months and is coming off an upset win in the seven-furlong Connaught Cup on the turf here June 5. He is listed at 8-1 on the morning line in Saturday's Grade 2 $200,000 King Edward Stakes, a one-turn mile on the grass, at Woodbine.

“I’m glad he’s come back to form,” said Murphy, who had watched Dimension rally from last in the field of five to prevail by a half-length here in the June 5 Connaught Cup at seven furlongs on the turf. “He came out of it well. I’m very happy with him.”

Murphy, who is based at Skylight Training Centre in Kentucky, blames himself for Dimension’s fall from grace following the Kentucky Downs score.

“I totally messed up,” said the trainer. “I changed some things around with him, and they didn’t need changing. Going to California was a mistake.

“I finally gave him the time off. He’s a totally different horse this year; he’s training as good as he ever has.” 

Dimension’s first start of this season had come at Keeneland on April 21, where he finished last of eight but beaten just 2.25 lengths in an open one-mile turf allowance race.

“He was caught on the rail,” said Murphy. “I was happy with him, but disappointed with the way the race unfolded.

“I had said we’d make a miler out of him. He’s settling so much better now.”

Dimension had been a front-runner back in the day when he won the Grade 2 Play the King over seven furlongs of turf here in 2011. But that style was his undoing in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile as he folded after setting a very rapid pace.

Davy Moran, Dimension’s partner in his local appearances, retains the mount as Dimension begins from post 8.

The $125,000 Passing Mood, a seven-furlong turf race, attracted a field of nine Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies. And, curiously, not one of the entrants has raced on the turf during their careers. Sugar Jones, who is two-for-two with her first two starts in restricted company, and Old Valyria, coming off a victory in an open first-level allowance, both have worked well on the turf and should attract plenty of action.

Sunday's 13-race Queen's Plate card, with a special first race post time of 12 p.m.,  offers a plethora of wagering options for horseplayers including two Pick-4 wagers, two Pick-5 wagers and the JackPot Hi-5 in the nitecap.   The first Pick 4 (Races 4-5-6-7), which is guaranteed at $150,000, kicks off in the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes which features the talented sprinter Lady Shipman taking on the boys in an attempt to earn graded status.  The late Pick 4 (Races 10-11-12-13), guaranteed at $300,000, starts with the 157th running of the Queen's Plate.

The first Pick 5 wager (Races 2-3-4-5-6-7) is guaranteed at $50,000. The late Pick 5 (Races 6-7-8-9-10), guaranteed at $100,000, includes four added-money events starting with the Charlie Barley Stakes and also features the Grade 3 Singspiel and Grade 2 Dance Smartly with The Queen's Plate slated as the concluding leg.

The JackPot Hi-5, set for the 13th and final race on the card, boasts a carryover of $81,619.11 going into Friday's card.

Advance wagering on Sunday's Woodbine program will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Saturday July 2 at all WEG locations and on HPI. Advance pick pools will not be open until the completion of Saturday's live racing. 

For Three-Year-Olds, Foaled In Canada 

One Mile and One-Quarter, Tapeta

All to carry 126 pounds except filly Gamble’s Ghost (121 pounds)

PP / HORSE / TRAINER / OWNER / JOCKEY / ODDS

1 / Mike / John LeBlanc Jr. / Paradox Farm, Inc., et al / David Moran / 30-1

2 / Narrow Escape / Justin Nixon / JMC's Racing Stable, W. Dehan et al / Sheena Ryan / 30-1

3 / All On Red / Sid Attard / JMJ Racing Stables LLC / Eurico Rosa da Silva / 12-1

4 / Leavem in Malibu / Mark Casse / Gary Barber & Conrad Farms / Gary Boulanger / 7-2

5 / Sir Dudley Digges  / Mike Maker / Kenneth L. & Sarah Ramsey / Julien Leparoux / 15-1

6 / Shakhimat / Roger Attfield / Dan Gale & Richard Hogan / Emma-Jayne Wilson / 5-1

7 / My Name Is Jim / Reade Baker / Mario Forgione / Jesse Campbell / 30-1

8 / Rocket Plan  /John LeBlanc Jr. / William Gierkink / Simon Husbands / 30-1

9 / Cheburashka / Robert Tiller / Goldmart Farms / Rafael Hernandez / 30-1

10/ Amis Gizmo / Josie Carroll / Ivan Dalos / Luis Contreras / 3-1

11/ Esposito / Tom Proctor / Chartwell Partners LLC / Alan Garcia / 8-1

12/ Scholar Athlete / Graham Motion / West Point Thoroughbreds / Jose Ortiz / 12-1