Woodbine: Repole, Attard send 2 in Saturday's Autumn Stakes

Repole Stable and trainer Kevin Attard send out the formidable duo of Bail Us Out and Never Surprised in a star-stacked edition of the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.

The 1 1/8-mile main track event for 3-year-olds and up has drawn 12 starters, including 3-year-old Bail Us Out and 6-year-old Never Surprised.

Bred in Kentucky by Hillcroft Farm, Bail Us Out, a son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Joffe’s Run has made his last three starts at Woodbine, including a strong runner-up finish in the Ontario Derby (G3), also at 1 1/8 miles on the Toronto main track, on Oct. 9.

It was the first stakes appearance for the bay colt.

“You never like to finish second in any race, but I thought it was an excellent effort in the Ontario Derby,” said Attard, who won the 2019 Autumn with Special Forces. “He was up against a very good horse (multiple graded stakes winner Dresden Row, also running in the Autumn), but he put in a determined rally and was coming like a freight train.”

Bail Us Out launched his career with two starts at Gulfstream Park.

After a fourth in his maiden voyage last December, his 3-year-old debut, on Feb. 3 at the Hallandale oval, yielded a half-length score over 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic.

Ninth at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine inner turf on July 19, Bail Us Out recorded a half-length score at one mile on the inner on Sept. 7.

“He's just continued to raise the bar over his past two starts here,” Attard said. “His win over a mile on the turf was very impressive, just the explosive turn of foot late. It was great to see that energy and will to win.”

Bail Us Out will be ridden by Romero Maragh.

“We're very happy to have this horse in the barn and have him represent Repole Stable here,” Attard said. “You could tell he had talent from the minute he arrived."

Never Surprised, who has a career record of 17: 5-7-0, will make his fifth straight start at Woodbine.

A son of Constitution out of the unraced Tiznow mare Tiz Dixie, the bay’s resume includes three stakes triumphs, 2020 Central Park and 2021 editions of the Gio Ponti and Tropical Park Derby, and four runner-up performances in graded events, including the 2022 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the 2021 Hill Prince Stakes (G2).

“This is another nice horse from Repole,” Attard said. “If you look at his races here, he’s a scrapper. If he gets passed by a horse, he will dig in and he hates to throw in the towel.”

Never Surprised heads into the Autumn off a 3 1/2-length win at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf on Oct. 6.

Sent on his way as the 3-2 choice, he cruised to the lead at the five-sixteenths mark and drove clear for his first Woodbine victory.

“Very impressed by that win in October,” Attard said. “He did it so confidently and so comfortably, just what you love to see.”

Bred in Kentucky by Golden Pedigree, Never Surprised has posted a series of works over the main track, including a four-furlong breeze in 46.40 seconds Oct. 27.

“He’s no stranger to stakes company and stakes success, but this will be his first time racing on the main track at Woodbine,” said Attard, who will have Austin Adams in the irons in the Autumn. “He's worked well over it, so hopefully he can take all the good things he's done in the morning and bring it with him on Saturday.”

Other hopefuls include Sir London, trained by Graham Motion for Amo Racing USA.

The 5-year-old gelding, sired by Malibu Moon out of the Seeking the Gold mare Seeking Atlantis, is 3: 3-3-2 from 13 starts.

Sir London arrives at the Autumn with one win and a pair of thirds in his past three starts, including a third in the Red Bank Stakes, over one mile of turf at Monmouth Park, on Sept. 2.

“He trains well on the Tapeta at home (Fair Hill), and he has been running consistently, although this will be a step up,” Motion motion.

The dark bay, who broke his maiden in his third career start, a 10-length victory over one mile on the Los Alamitos dirt on Dec. 4, 2021, will be making his first appearance at Woodbine.

Bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate, Sir London has raced at Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland and Laurel Park.

Multiple graded-stakes winners Artie’s Storm, Dresden Row, Paramount Prince and War Bomber, along with multiple stakes winner Forever Souper, are also slated to run.