Red Rifle Withstands Inquiry in Dominion Day

Favoured Red Rifle and jockey Alan Garcia held Florida Won safe in a late stretch duel, then had to withstand a steward’s inquiry before officially being declared the winner of the featured $150,000, Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes on Canada Day at Woodbine.

Placed in sixth for most of the mile and one-quarter contest, while Patrioticandproud led the field through fractions of :23.36, :47.26, 1:12.07 and 1:36.61, Red Rifle moved to challenge the leaders turning for home, cut across in front of Pender Harbour (hence the inquiry) in mid-stretch to take command, then beat back a late rail bid from Florida Won for the one and one-quarter length victory.  The final time was 2:01.93.

The venerable seven-year-old Pender Harbour, a Sovereign Award winner as a three-year-old and career earner of over $1.7 million, finished third, another two and one-half lengths behind, as the 5-2 second choice.

Trained by North America’s perennial leader Todd Pletcher, who was winning his first Dominion Day, Red Rifle, a five-year-old gelded son of Giant’s Causeway, was scoring his sixth victory in only 18 life outings, but has been second five times and third once.

He entered the Dominion Day winless in four starts this year, but had won one of his two starts over Keeneland’s synthetic surface in 2013 and 2014.  Hence the reason for his owner and co-breeder, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, to supplement him at a cost of $3,000 to the race over Woodbine’s Polytrack.   The decision netted a significant quick return, since the winner received $90,000 and has now banked $564,270 in his career to date.

“He (Pletcher) told me let him run his race,” said Garcia, who was winning a leading seventh stakes race at Woodbine.  “(He said) If he breaks good, then go on with him.  He’s got a beautiful stride and can run all day long.  (But) He broke a step slow, so I said, ‘let me be patient and come running.’  Unbelievable, today, this horse.   Pletcher also said if he’s rating and he’s happy, don’t worry about what position you are in.”  

Red Rifle, the 2-1 favourite, paid $6.40, $3.50 and $3, combining with Florida Won ($3.80, $3.20) for a $27.40 (5-1) exactor.  A 5-1-4 (Pender Harbour, $2.70) triactor was worth $69.70 while a $1 Superfecta [5-1-4-7 (Patrioticandproud)] was worth $114.20.

Endless Light upsets Hillaby in Sweet Briar Too

Endless Light, with Emma-Jayne Wilson aboard, outbattled favoured Hillaby and Patrick Husbands the length of the stretch to win the $100,000 Sweet Briar Too Stakes, one of two features on the Canada Day holiday at Woodbine.

At the finish of the seven furlong tilt for fillies and mares, Endless Light, making her Polytrack debut for trainer Mark Frostad, proved a gutsy three-quarter length winner in 1:21.96.   Hillaby, trained by Mark Casse, gave it her all down the lane in her seasonal debut but the challenge proved a little too difficult for last year’s Sovereign Award-winning female sprinter.

Second choice Unspurned went immediately to the front, getting the first quarter in :22.79, before being challenged by Endless Light in the middle and Hillaby, the 3-5 choice, on the outside.   After the half was reached in a blistering :44.81, Unspurned faded and Endless Light took over, but was immediately collared by the favourite, setting the stage for the prolonged stretch duel.   Midnight Ballet came on for third, six lengths further back.

Now owned by Jal Dastur, British-bred Endless Light, a daughter of Pivotal, campaigned in England as a three-year-old for her owner and breeder Cheveley Park Stud, winning once and finishing second three times, all on turf.

After being off for the entire 2014 season, she made her North American debut at Gulfstream Park on April 15, finishing second on the grass, then came to Woodbine where she was the runner-up, once again, in a turf allowance test May 27, prior to Wednesday’s breakthrough win.

“It (the pace) was pretty fast,” said Frostad.   “I thought, man, we’ve never set her down like that before.  She managed to finish very strongly.  She wasn’t going to quit today.  It was Hillaby’s first start of the year so I think that was to our advantage.   She’s versatile.”

The Sweet Briar Too was reduced to a field of six, with the scratches of Resistivity, Kay’s Grace, Remebel and Comtesse.  Sent postward a 10-1 outsider, Endless Light, never worse than second in seven career starts, paid $22.30, $4.30 and $2.80, combining with Hillaby ($2.40, $2.10) for a $58 (5-9) exactor.   A 5-9-4 (MidnightBallet, $4.50) triactor returned $218.60.

Source: Woodbine Communications Office