Woodbine: 7 sprinters test Red River Rebel in Jacques Cartier

Red River Rebel will face seven foes in the Grade 3, US$109,821 Jacques Cartier Stakes on Sunday at Woodbine. A six-furlong Tapeta event for 4-year-olds and up, the Cartier marks the first start of the season for the 5-year-old son of Reload.

Bred in Ontario by Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stables, who also share ownership, Red River Rebel arrives at his latest engagement off a fifth-place finish, just 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner in the six-furlong Kennedy Road (G2) in November.

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Trained by Krista Cole-Simpson, the gelding boasts a record of 15: 4-0-2 and $203,617 in purse earnings.

“I took over (as trainer) this winter,” Cole-Simpson said. “He’s a nice horse, very tall and big. He’s a good boy. At first I was told he was a little difficult to ride, but I get on him in the morning, and I have no problems. He likes to train, rest, have his lunch and then sleep. It’s a pretty good routine he’s got going.”

Red River Rebel has had a steady work tab heading into Sunday’s tilt, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.2 over the Woodbine synthetic May 5.

“He’s had some really solid works underneath him,” Cole-Simpson said. “We’re very happy with the works and how he’s come out of them. Morning or afternoon, he always shows up.”

Red River Rebel launched his career on Oct. 23, 2020, finishing third in a race won by former Cole-Simpson trainee Candy Overload, also a 5-year-old son of Reload who will contest the Jacques Cartier. One race later, Red River Rebel turned the tables on Candy Overload when the former won the Frost King Stakes and the latter was third.

“He’s beaten Candy Overload, and Candy Overload has beaten him, so it certainly makes for an interesting storyline,” Cole-Simpson said. “They both have different running styles. Candy likes to come from last, and Rebel likes to be in the mix from the start.”

Cole-Simpson has developed a strong bond with Red River Rebel, a connection with the chestnut that others in her barn have yet to duplicate.

“When I’m around, he’s very kind to me,” she said. “I can kiss him on the face, hug him, and he’s lovely. But when the boys come around, he knows, and he’ll snap at them and do other stuff. They’ll ask, ‘How come you just kissed him and he’s trying to bite us?’ I don’t know what it is, but I guess he’s just very smart. I also got (jockey Keveh Nicholls) back, because he rode Candy Overload, so he’s pretty excited for this opportunity.”

Other starters include last year’s Cartier winner and 2022 Sovereign Award finalist Arzak as well as graded-stakes winner Ironstone, also Sovereign finalist.

Newly minted Canada Hall of Famer Pink Lloyd won the race four straight times from 2017 to 2020. Essence Hit Man netted the natural hat trick from 2011 to 2013.

The Jacques Cartier goes as race 7 on Sunday 4:16 p.m. EDT. The first post is 1:10 p.m.

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