Woodbine: Fields for Connaught Cup, Trillium, Plate Trial

Multiple graded-stakes winner Flag Of Honour looks to add to an already impressive racing resume in Saturday’s Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes at Woodbine.

The seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds and upward on turf has drawn eight hopefuls, including Flag Of Honour.

Trained by Julia Carey, the 5-year-old son of American Pharoah-Godiva Rock heads into his latest engagement off a tremendous 1 1/4-length triumph in the Jacques Cartier (G3), run at six furlongs on the Woodbine all-weather track June 1.

“He did it on the front end when he usually does his running from off the pace,” said the multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner. “Normally, he doesn’t go the front, but he did in that race, and he did it all very comfortably.”

It was the fifth career victory, along with a second and a third from 10 starts for Flag Of Honour, who earned his second graded stakes triumph.

“He seems to be coming into the race in good order,” Carey said of the bay who posted a hard-fought nose score in last year's Kennedy Road (G2). “I missed the (G2) Highlander (on June 9) on purpose because I didn’t want to dance every dance. He ran so hard in the Jacques Cartier, so we wanted to space it out properly for him.

“This will be his first time on the turf here at Woodbine, but he fared well over the turf at other racetracks before he came to us.”

Flag Of Honour launched his career in 2022 with a pair of wins on the grass, one at Newcastle, the other at Rosehill, and went on to post a 6: 3-0-0 record overseas.

In his North American debut, on Oct. 29, 2023, the gelding was third at six furlongs over the Toronto oval all-weather course.

“He’s like a bull out there, just a real racehorse in every sense,” Carey said earlier in the year.

With regular rider Kazushi Kimura having recently moved his tack to California, Emma-Jayne Wilson, who recently went into the record books as the highest earning female jockey of all-time, will get the call on Saturday.

Ocean Club makes first start outside U.S in Trillium

Eight fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, will travel 1 1/16 miles on the main track in the Trillium Stakes (G3).

Graded stakes-placed Ocean Club, trained by Jack Sisterson, will make her first start outside of the U.S.

The 4-year-old daughter of Curlinx sports a record of 12: 4-3-1 AND $246,420 in career purse earnings.

Ocean Club heads into the Trillium off a fifth in the Eatontown Stakes (G3) at Monmouth on June 15.

“I’m really looking forward to riding Ocean Club,” said jockey Sofia Vives, who gets the call on Saturday. “She’s an honest filly who is undefeated on synthetic. I’m very grateful to Glen Hill Farm for the opportunity. Hopefully, we can keep her synthetic streak alive.”

Other starters include graded stakes placed Five Towns, Mark Casse duo Solo Album and Forever Dixie, as well as a pair of Kevin Attard trainees, Ro Town and Fashionably Fab.

Plate Trial draws field of 7

Seven 3-year-olds foaled in Canada will tackle 1 1/8 miles in the Plate Trial Stakes on Woodbine's main track.

The race, a key prep on the road to The King’s Plate on Aug. 17, includes multiple stakes winner My Boy Prince.

My Boy Prince ran second in his debut last May for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

One race after a six-length maiden-breaking score at five furlongs, the grey posted a head-turning 14-length triumph in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe Stakes on Aug. 27.

Second in the Summer Stakes (G1) in September, My Boy Prince was back in the winner’s circle courtesy of a 4 1/4-length victory in the Cup and Saucer Stakes, at 1 1/16 miles over turf.

The son of Cairo Prince then closed the curtain on his rookie campaign with a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile en route to being crowned Canada’s champion 2-year-old male.

After an eighth in the Palisades Stakes at Keeneland to launch his 2024 season, My Boy Prince returned to Woodbine and recorded triumphs in the King Corrie Stakes and most recently, the Queenston Stakes.

“He didn’t grow a lot,” Casse said. “He’s just a plain-looking horse who runs really fast.”

Bred in Ontario by Murray Graham Smith, the colt is 9: 5-2-1 with $539,520 in purse earnings.