Conquest Enforcer Dominates Cup and Saucer

Some of the top Canadian-bred two-year-olds took centre stage Sunday at Woodbine in the 79th running of the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes.

But at the finish, it was the highly-regarded and widely-touted Conquest Enforcer, with jockey Patrick Husbands, who demolished his 11 rivals effortlessly, winning off by six and three-quarter lengths in the mile and one-sixteenth historic turf event, in a final time of 1:43.17.

A $210,000 yearling purchase by Conquest Stables, the son of Into Mischief-Keen Victory, bred by Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm, had debuted in the tough Grade 2, one mile turf Summer Stakes on September 12, but finished fourth, almost six lengths behind stablemate Conquest Daddyo, who earned a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf October 30 at Keeneland by virtue of the win.

Said Husbands, “We worked him about two months ago on the turf.   I came back and said to (trainer) Mark (Casse), he’s a pretty nice horse. But he never got a chance to get back on the turf (in training).  The last race, it was a soft, soft, soft turf and he was never comfortable.  So, we just had to put that race behind.  When we got the daylight today, he showed he was the best horse in the race.   It’s an honour and a pleasure to sit on good horses.  They always make you smile.”

In the Cup and Saucer, Conquest Enforcer, who went postward the lukewarm 3-1 favourite, sat a patient third on the rail, while longshot Gigantic Breeze and Shakhimat dueled on the front end through fractions of :23.62, :47.34 and 1:12.18, over a ‘good’ E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

However, when the field turned for home, it was just a question of whether Husbands would find a seam between the pacesetters.   Wheeled off the rail and splitting rivals, Conquest Enforcer exploded when the opening occurred and the race was essentially over.  

Butterfly Dance, who briefly took over in mid-stretch before the ‘Enforcer’ got through, was second, while Shakhimat was another two lengths back in third.

It was the fifth Cup and Saucer win for Husbands and the third for Casse.  Together, they also teamed to win the 2012 renewal with Star Contender.

Conquest Enforcer, who picked up $150,000 for the win, paid $8.60, $4.60 and $3.50, combining with Butterfly Dance ($7.40, $5) for a $59 (2-8) exactor.  A 2-8-5 (Shakhimat, $5) triactor was worth $395.20, while a $1 Superfecta [2-8-5-11 (Hammers Vision)] came back a healthy $1,768.80.

In a pulsating drive to the wire, Seen It All Before came back to edge Kingsport and capture the $125,000 Bunty Lawless Stakes Sunday at Woodbine.

At the finish, Seen It All Before had outlasted Kingsport by a nostril, with favoured Born in a Breeze mounting a late rally on the rail to finish two lengths further back in third.  However, before the official sign went up, there was a stewards’ inquiry involving the top two finishers to review some mild stretch bumping.

The turf, one mile Bunty Lawless for Ontario-sired three-year-olds and upward, drew a full, wide-open field of 14, but wagering was directed at two horses, Born in a Breeze, the 9-5 choice and 7-2 Kingsport, the one-two finishers in the Vice Regent Stakes on August 30.

Instead, it was the 2013 winner of the Vice Regent Stakes who prevailed.  Dismissed at 10-1, the Colebrook Farms’ homebred Seen It All Before, trained by Ashlee Brnjas, with a red-hot Luis Contreras in the irons, had to overcome the outside post 14 while winning his second race in a row in his sixth start of the year, after missing the entire 2014 campaign.

Placed in ninth for part of the trip, Seen It All Before rallied outside of Kingsport in mid-stretch as both battled gamely to the wire.

“It was a big fight in the stretch but I’m proud of him,” said Contreras, who was winning the Bunty Lawless for a third time, after taking the 2011 and 2012 editions with the Sovereign Award-winning Pender Harbour.  “My trip was pretty clean.  I got nobody outside of me.”

Longshot Sparrowhawk took the field through early fractions of :23.18, :46.32 and 1:10.26 over the ‘good’ turf, before fading as the field turned into the lengthy E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch.  At that point, San Nicola Thunder, the defending Bunty Lawless champ, loomed into contention, while right behind him, Kingsport and Seen It All Before rallied as a team, with Born in a Breeze charging up the rail.

“Patience, patience, patience.  It always pays off in this game,” said owner John Brnjas.  “We put him away for a year.  He had a problem.  We brought him back and he’s really on top of his game right now.”

The gelded six-year-old chestnut son of Niigon-A Familiar Face was winning his fifth race in just 17 career starts, and has now banked over $350,000, including today’s winner’s share of $75,000.

In addition to Pender Harbour, the restricted stake was also won on three occasions by Rahy’s Attorney, who also took the 2008 Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

Seen It All Before paid $22.70, $9.50 and $6, combining with Kingsport ($5.60, $3.50) for a $121 (14-12) exactor.  A 14-12-5 (Born in a Breeze, $$2.60) triactor was worth $423.20, while a $1 Superfecta [14-12-5-11 (San Nicola Thunder)] returned a whopping $5,887.20.