Woodbine: Carson’s Run, She Feels Pretty get to Breeders’ Cup

Carson’s Run, rallying from last place in the field of nine, stormed down the outside to put away front-running My Boy Prince for an emphatic, 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1, US$373,145 Summer Stakes over one mile of turf.

Ridden by Dylan Davis, Carson’s Run became a first-time stakes winner and earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a one-mile race on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

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“He did very well there, because he saved all the ground he could, and then when he angled him out at the quarter pole, we had to come wide obviously, but that way you don’t get any traffic,” said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Carson’s Run’s conditioner Christophe Clément. “He had a clear run from quarter pole to the wire, and he really showed what he is today.”

My Boy Prince, coming off a 14-length romp at Woodbine in the restricted Simcoe Stakes, cut out fractions of 23.46, 47.10 and 1:11.32 racing on the inside. But he failed to contain the winner’s rally and had to settle for second money as the 9-5 favorite.

Go for Gusto, one of two fillies in the field, gave trainer Mark Casse a two-three finish in the Summer, also coming from the backfield to finish a half-length behind his stablemate.

Tunechi ran fourth, another 1 1/4 lengths back with Souper Attentive, Western Whirl and King of the Track the fifth through seventh place finishers. Souper Attentive and King of the Track also hail from the Casse barn.

She Feels Pretty looks good in Natalma

She Feels Pretty, closing down the middle of the track under rider John Velázquez, proved best by 4 1/4 lengths in the Natalma Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies.

The Natalma, a US$373,145 turf race contested over one mile of grass, gave the winner a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. That one-mile event wlll be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.

“I was very confident. I got to say she was feeling very confident,” Velázquez said. “I made sure I put her in a good position behind Dylan Davis (rider of Ozara), a horse that could take me a little way down. When we turned for home, I moved her to the clear, and her ears went up, and I said, ‘Wow, look at this.’ I went after her, and she instantly responded. The way she did it was very impressive.” Simply in Front, the only non-winner in the 13-filly field, was well-placed throughout and ended a solid second at odds of just under 30-1.

English invader Dazzling Star, the 7-5 favorite to give trainer Charlie Appleby an eighth straight Grade 1 success at Woodbine and a third win in the Natalma, broke slowly. Although she made up ground, she never awas ble to enter serious contention. The Godolphin homebred finished 2 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up.

Ozara raced prominently and appeared to be in with a big chance turning for home only to flatten out slightly and finish fourth. Golden Canary ended fifth after setting fractions of 22.86, 47.01, and 1:11.81 before weakening. Ready to Jam, Rhapsody, Bolt Enoree, Dea Matrona, She’s Fire, Ms. Tart and Brocknardini rounded out the official order of finish.

Patches O’Houlihan takes Vigil

Patches O’Houlihan, under Daisuke Fukumoto, fended off a furious late charge from a pair of rivals to take Saturday’s US$112,019 Vigil Stakes (G3).

The 3-year-old son of Reload Patches arrived at the six-furlong, main-track race for 3-year-olds and up with five straight wins to his name. The bay gelding had to work overtime to keep the streak going.

Rockcrest, breaking from the inside post, was joined quickly on the front end by Patches O’Houlihan, the duo taking their six rivals through an opening quarter in 22.31 seconds followed by My Buddy B and Last American Exit.

It was Rockcrest who held a head advantage over Patches O’Houlihan at the half-mile juncture reached in 44.32 seconds. Last American Exit moved into third, a head in front of My Buddy B, as the pace noticeably quickened into the turn for home.

Rockcrest dug in gamely along the rail, and Patches O’Houlihan and Fukumoto ratcheted up the pressure to the outside. Last American Exit, at 31-1, and Secret Reserve, at 12-1, arrived on the scene late and took dead aim on the dueling frontrunners.

At the wire, Patches O’Houlihan bested Last American Exit by a nose. Secret Reserve was a farther head back with Rockcrest another neck behind in fourth.

The winning time for six furlongs on the Tapeta was 1:09.16.