Woodbine: Fields are set for Saturday's graded stakes

Stanley House will tackle 1 1/16 miles on the main track and eight rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2 Seagram Cup at Woodbine.

The Seagram Cup, for 3-year-olds and up, marks the second straight graded engagement for Stanley House, who is trained by Mike De Paulo.

On June 29, in his most recent effort, the 4-year-old finished a strong second to champion Paramount Prince in the 1 1/8-mile Dominion Day Stakes (G3).

“He ran a good race,” said De Paulo, who is closing in on 1,000 career victories. “The winner got to the front and Patrick (Husbands, jockey) is dangerous when he gets out there. We ended up second. It looked like he was going to start going backwards, but he came on again.

“This guy is a little thicker this year. He is still a colt, and he is a little wider and looks like he’s a little stronger. He’s always been a good work horse.”

De Paulo originally wanted to purchase Stanley House for himself and his son, groom Joseph De Paulo.

“When we went to the (2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall) sale, I thought we could buy him ourselves for around $40,000 to $50,000, but when the price started going up, I thought I should get on the phone,” he said of the eventual $120,000 purchase. “But it all worked out.”

A model of consistency, Stanley House, owned by John and Diana Russell, is 12: 3-4-1, along with $269,743 in purse earnings.

“I liked this horse when I bought him,” said De Paulo. “He was a good-legged colt, just impressive from the physical standpoint. You look at him and you know he is a racehorse. From the first day we breezed him, he acted like he could run. Mike Cook broke him in Ocala, and he was high on him all along.”

Stanley House finished second in his debut in November 2022 and followed it up with another runner-up effort one month later.

“I thought he should have won his first two races,” De Paulo said. “It didn’t happen, but he’s a talented horse.”

The dark bay son of Army Mule-Stormy’s Song broke his maiden at Gulfstream in his fourth start on March 25, 2023.

After a win that June at Woodbine, Stanley House finished sixth in the Plate Trial.

A month later he went postward in the 164th edition of The King’s Plate and finished third in the race won by Paramount Prince, who also will contest the Seagram Cup.

“When we bought him, I didn’t think at that point he would be a Plate horse,” said De Paulo. “But he got better and better and gave us some excitement in the Plate.”

De Paulo would like to deliver a stakes win with Stanley House for the owners, who have been supporters of racing in Ontario and Woodbine for decades.

John Russell is president of J.E. Russell Produce and owned horses years ago before coming back into the fold with encouragement from De Paulo.

“He was in the game with (trainer) Buddy Carter back in the day,” said De Paulo. “John was partners with Peter Lamantia (co-breeder of 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird) and they raced a really good filly in Sweet Briar Too, the dam of Langfuhr. John got out of the business, but I guess I bugged him enough that he made a comeback.

“I’ve been training for John for the past dozen or so years,” continued De Paulo. “He’s a team player and a friend.”

Attard, Casse each enter 3 for Ontario Colleen

The Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3) also is on tap Saturday at Woodbine.

The one-mile turf test for 3-year-old fillies has drawn 13 hopefuls, including the Kevin Attard trio of Airosa, Rosa and Tripolina. Mark Casse also sends out three, Crevalle d’Oro, Time to Dazzle and Witwatersrand. Grecian Goddess, trained by Chad Brown, was supplemented to the race, as was Jamie Begg pupil, Miss Roberts and Sid Attard charge Ecstasy.