Longshot Camp Creek surprises Sir Dudley Digges in Breeders' Stakes
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
Michael Burns/Woodbine
Garland Williamson’s Camp Creek struck front in mid-stretch and went on to notch a 1 ¼-length win in the 126th running of the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, third jewel in Canada’s Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Sunday at Woodbine.
The son of Dunkirk, making his first appearance in the Triple Crown series, came into the race off a maiden-breaking effort on July 15, a 2 ¾-length triumph at 1 1/18 miles on the Toronto oval’s world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course, and looked every bit as impressive today in the 1 ½-mile turf Breeders’.
Jockey Rafael Hernandez, who made the move to Woodbine for the 2016 campaign, notched his first Breeders’ score, as did trainer Rachel Halden, who joins Catherine Day Phillips (two wins), Debbie England and Josie Carroll as the other female conditioners to have won the event.
"I can't say I was expecting it, but we were hopeful and thought he deserved a chance,” said Halden. “To me, he was just an improving horse. I'd been looking to get him on the grass for a while and when we did he won quite nicely and it looked like a stretch out in distance wouldn’t be an issue for him. Sometimes, when you have a three-year-old Canadian-bred you need to take a chance at these kinds of races."
Hernandez was equally thrilled.
“When I passed the wire, I said, ‘I won.’ I can’t believe it,” said the veteran jockey, who had 21 wins from 141 starts at Woodbine heading into Sunday’s action.
Sir Dudley Digges, winner of the Queen’s Plate, was second, while Leavem In Malibu and Scholar Athlete, were third and fourth, respectively. Mutuel favourite Conquest Daddyo was fifth. The running time was 2:29.45 over ‘firm’ going.
Camp Creek set up shop near the back of the 11-horse field as Scholar Athlete, hounded by Narrow Escape tussled through clips of :24.99, :49.66 and 1:15.30. As the field turned for home, Scholar Athlete was confronted by Prince of Wales Stakes champ Amis Gizmo, while Hernandez unleashed Camp Creek to the outside of his rivals.
“At the three-eighths (pole), I started to ask him to pick it up,” said the winning rider. “When we turned for home, I put him clear and he did everything on his own.”
The finish was much more uneventful than the start for the grey and his jockey.
“He broke good,” noted Hernandez. “He settled back a little bit. I had a little trouble in the first turn. One horse came out a little bit. He grabbed a little bit of heels, so he settled back even more and he relaxed himself.”
Jockey Robby Albarado was pleased with Sir Dudley Digges’ performance.
"It was a great trip,” he said. “I had to ride him a little bit early and I kind of inherited the lead on my own turning for home. He kept on but the winner ran by me with authority. It's a rare distance for these horses at this point in their career, but he handled it well."
Today’s victory was by far the biggest payday for Camp Creek, who came into the Breeders’ with one win and a third from four starts.
The race is one of several lucrative turf features on the Woodbine calendar. The $1 million Woodbine Mile is slated for September 17 and the $1 million Pattison Canadian International, both Grade 1 features, will be contested on October 16.
Camp Creek paid $55.30, $26.20 and $12.10, combining with Sir Dudley Digges ($10, $6.20) for a $526.80 exactor. Leavem in Malibu ($6.90) rounded out a triactor worth $3,127.40 while the $1 superfecta (Scholar Athlete) paid $13,497.50.
Messi kicks clear in Sky Classic
Gestut Brummerhof's Messi, expertly handled by Edgar Prado, kicked clear to a comfortable score in Sunday's co-featured $204,400 Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Graham Motion, the six-year-old New Approach chestnut was making his first start in Canada in the 1 1/4-mile turf event for three-year-olds and upward. Messi, winless since making the grade in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker at Belmont in October, used a more prominent approach in the Sky Classic tracking Fixador through comfortable early splits.
Up With the Birds, the 8-5 mutuel favourite under Eurico Rosa da Silva, raced from the back of the pack in the field of seven but edged closer through the turn as Messi got the jump on his rivals with Fixador fading.
Button Down, shuffled back to last through the turn, rallied wide down the lane outside of Up With the Birds as Are You Kidding Me found an inside route, but there was no catching a runaway Messi who scored by 2 ½-lengths. Are You Kidding Me stayed on strong for place over Up With the Birds who won a show photo over Button Down. Messi covered 1 1/4-miles in 2:00.89.
Shape of the race provided Prado good reason for a prominent approach.
"It seemed there wasn't much speed in the race. The only speed was the horse in front (Fixador), first time with blinkers," said Prado. "We traveled in second all the way and hoped to come home strong. He was doing everything so easy. He had plenty left in the stretch."
Messi, initially campaigned in Germany, was shipped to North America and the care of Motion for a solid 2015 campaign that included three wins from five starts. The chestnut had finished third in two 2016 starts coming into the Sky Classic, including a strong effort last time out in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap.
"I really like this horse and most of his disappointing races I have a pretty good explanation for. I thought he ran well last time at Arlington," said Motion. "We caught a really soft turf course at Churchill (Grade 3 River City Handicap, Nov. 26) last year and he got a clod in his eye and had some pretty serious surgery. He had the winter off and we saved the eye and he's back better than ever."
Messi, bred in Germany by his owner, banked $120,000 in victory while improving his record to 6-5-2 from 20 starts.
He paid $10.20, $4.10 and $2.40, combining with Are You Kidding Me ($3.90, $2.70) for a $33 (4-8) exactor. A 4-8-6 triactor (Up With the Birds, $2.20 to show) was worth $73.90. Dynamic Sky was scratched.
Source: Woodbine Communications Office
Read More
The fall meets wind down but the graded stakes keep coming, with Churchill Downs hosting Saturday's Grade 3...
This week's Prospect Watch showcases young horses with elite bloodlines making their racing debuts and early career starts....
Grand Slam Smile posted Sunday's highest Horse Racing Nation speed figure with a 142 at Del Mar in...
Sweet Azteca and Ag Bullet will return to racing in 2026 as 6-year-olds, trainer Richard Baltas told Daily...
Trainer Mark Glatt is having a pretty good year. It started last fall when he won his first...