Woodbine roundup: Kin’s Concerto rallies to Oaks victory

Kin’s Concerto, under jockey Sofia Vives, orchestrated a spirited stretch run to win the 69th running of the US$363,042 Woodbine Oaks on Saturday at Woodbine.

A homebred for Chiefswood Stables, Kin’s Concerto arrived at the biggest race in the country for Canada-bred 3-year-old fillies without an added-money engagement listed on her dance card.

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On a hot summer afternoon in Toronto, the daughter of Mendelssohn shined in her stakes debut.

Trained by Canada Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, Kin’s Concerto got away smartly in the 14-horse field and sat third after an opening quarter-mile in 23.78 seconds set by 50-1 Lookin to Conquer, who was a half-length in front of Lunch With Bernie.

Lookin to Conquer and Lunch With Bernie continued to hold down first and second, respectively, through a half-mile in 47.96 seconds. Vives maintained a patient hand with Kin’s Concerto in fourth.

Coming off the turn Lunch With Bernie held a narrow advantage but found herself confronted by Caitlinhergrtness and A Little Frisky, the latter also trained by Carroll.

Vives called on the chestnut in upper stretch, and the filly responded with a tremendous outside burst and started to reel in the leaders.

Fourth and gaining at the stretch call, Kin’s Concerto got up to notch a neck victory over Caitlinhergrtness. Hurricane Clair rallied stoutly to finish third. A Little Frisky was fourth.

The final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:51.18.

“We just wanted to break in early position,” Vives said. “We wound up right on the rail. Perfect trip in the turn, I got to get into a two-path, followed the horse that I thought was going to be a tough one, it opened up all the holes, and we shot right through.

“She's a very, very talented filly, and she’s always shined bright in my eyes,” said the apprentice, whose mother was on hand to watch the race. “It's pretty exciting for this to happen in your lifetime, but to happen as a bug, I think it’s pretty special.”

Carroll, one win away from reaching 1,000 for her career, lauded both Vives and Kin’s Concerto.

“This young lady has improved leaps and bounds this year,” she said. “She suits this filly very, very much. She listens to instructions, which is what I really like about her. She does exactly what she’s asked to do. She was told to sit quiet on this filly, not get in her head and treat it like another race. You know, put the filly in the position that she needed to be in, and then have confidence in her, and she did just that.

“She’s always shown some talent, she's just had some unfortunate luck,” Carroll said of Kin’s Concerto. “Different things that have gone wrong and problems in races. A horse that closes and hooks big fields and has to get through. It’s always a challenge.”

Canada Hall of Famer Rob Landry, who rode three Oaks winners, has five Oaks to his name after Nipissing’s 2013 triumph and Kin’s Concerto’s victory, the latter two in his role now as Chiefswood’s general manager.

“(Kin’s Concerto) just shows you the signs, and Josie’s team has done a tremendous job with her as well,” Landry said. “Sofia rode her great. It was well deserved. I’m happy for the owners. They put a lot into this game and especially when you’re in the breeding operation, these types of races are really big.”

Kin’s Concerto is 5: 2-2-1. She debuted in November at Woodbine, finishing second but elevated to first in a six-furlong Tapeta race.

She paid $11.50 for Saturday’s win.

A decision on whether to run against males in the Aug. 17 King’s Plate at Woodbine will take place in the coming days.

“The owners and I will speak, and then I’ll speak to Josie,” said Landry, who won the 2004 Queen’s Plate with Chiefswood homebred Niigon. “We’re just going to let her cool out and see where it goes from here. We personally haven't had a lot of luck running fillies in the Plate, but a lot of people have. Obviously, you’ve got to think long and hard about it. We’re going to do what’s right by the filly.”

Cruden Bay steps up in Connaught Cup

Don MacRae trainee Cruden Bay notched his first stakes score, taking the US$127,064 Connaught Cup (G2).

A pair of Mark Casse trainees, First Empire and the supplemented Capture the Lion, were first and second in the early going. Vives was aboard Cruden Bay, and she had the bay settled into last of eight through an opening quarter-mile in 23.61 seconds in the seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds and up contested on a turf course rated good.

The Casse duo continued to set the tone through a half-mile in 45.97 seconds followed by Saratoga Flash and War Bomber. Cruden Bay still was running along in eighth.

When the field turned for home, it was anyone’s game.

War Bomber burst through to take the lead midway down the lane, but Cruden Bay also found an opening and began to gather momentum in the late going.

At the wire Cruden Bay, whose only other stakes appearance was a fourth in Steady Growth in December, got up to post a neck win with a time of 1:21.27. War Bomber finished 3 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Ironstone. Capture the Lion was fourth.

Vives, who rode the son of Big Screen for the first time in a seven-furlong turf win at Woodbine on June 1, heaped praise on the gelding.

“Down the lane, you just got to give him one clear run and not get him stopped up,” said Vives, Canada’s 2023 champion apprentice. “Today I got the rail trip. It was a perfect trip. It played out great. There were three horses in front of us and two next to us, and they split just perfectly. They parted perfectly. He's one that you have to tell him what to do, and he listens, and he did just that today.”

MacRae was equally elated with the stirring score courtesy of the US$24,557 purchase at the 2019 CTHS Canada-bred yearling sale.

“I was jumping up and down,” MacRae said. “I mean the thing about him is he needs the whole stretch to get there. If you look for him, he knows how to win by a nose, and he tries all the way. And when she punched out, I knew he was coming.”

Cruden Bay, owned by Michael Lay and bred in Ontario by Spring Farm, is now 22: 7-9-1.

“I would just like to say I am really happy for Michael Lay and my team,” MacRae said. “He’s had this horse since he was a baby, and he deserves this.”

Cruden Bay paid $10.50 for the win.

Solo Album hangs on in Trillium

Solo Album took the early lead and held on gamely to hit the top of the chart in the US$98,021 Trillium Stakes (G3).

Ridden by Sahin Civaci, who one race earlier teamed with Mark Casse trainee My Boy Prince to win the Plate Trial Stakes, the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin grabbed a slim lead over U.S. invader Ocean Club into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile synthetic-track event for fillies and mares.

Solo Album was a head clear of Ocean Club through a quarter-mile in 24.65 seconds followed by Batucada and Ro Town.

The chestnut filly maintained her head advantage on Ocean Club after a half-mile in 49.20 seconds. The trio of Batucada, Ro Town and Fashionably Fab kept close tabs on the pacesetters.

Solo Album rounded the turn with pressure to the outside from Fashionably Fab, who had burst through a seam a few strides before the field straightened for home, and a game Ocean Club.

A length on top at the stretch call, Solo Album fended off a late charge from fellow Casse trainee Forever Dixie, who was supplemented to the race, by a head. Multiple stakes winner Fashionably Fab, a winner of five straight heading into the Trillium, was a neck back in third. Ocean Club was fourth. Five Towns was scratched.

The final time was 1:43.90.

“I know she could come off the pace, and looking at it, no one was really going, and the pace was quite easy, and the rail was open, so I went,” Civaci said. “I felt them coming so I was riding hard, and she held on.”

Owned by Gary Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Steven Rocco, Solo Album was bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud and is now 14: 3-5-1 in 14 starts. She was a US$535,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Solo Album, who took last year’s Selene Stakes (G3), paid $6.60 for the win.

My Boy Prince delivers in Plate Trial

My Boy Prince, the 1-5 choice, reared at start but recovered impressively to win his third straight start, this time in the US$108,912 Plate Trial.

Under Civaci, the son of Cairo Prince broke awkwardly before settling into stride soon after as long shot Friendly Ghost went to the front in the 1 1/8-mile Tapeta race for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada.

Friendly Ghost held a half-length advantage over No More Options, last year’s Frost King Stakes winner, through a tepid opening quarter-mile of 25.11 seconds. Civaci guided My Boy Prince into fifth in the seven-horse field.

It was Friendly Ghost still in charge by a head after a half-mile in 49.51 seconds, but Piper’s Factor had begun to ratchet up the pressure as Civaci rallied My Boy Prince into the contention heading into the final turn.

Striking front just past the midway point down the lane, My Boy Prince was able to keep 26-1 outsider Rafaroo at bay by 1 1/4 lengths to secure the victory with a time of 1:51.12. Friendly Ghost was third and Piper’s Factor finished fourth.

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