Woodbine: Musketier defends title in Singspiel

Michael Burns

Musketier, with John Velazquez up, outfinishes Grassy to win Sunday's Grade 3, $151,200 Singspiel at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Musketier, the senior member of the field at age 9, successfully defended his title for trainer Roger Attfield in Sunday’s

Singspiel as he rallied to post a neck victory in the Grade 3, $151,200 supporting feature on the Queen’s Plate card at Woodbine.

Rahy’s Attorney, the 2-1 choice in the field of seven for the 1 1/2-mile turf race, lead through slow fractions over a course rated firm, but was joined by Simmard with about a half-mile to run.

Simmard and Rahy’s Attorney dueled into the stretch, but Grassy and Musketier were coming hard and wound up fighting it out for the win in the closing yards.

“I had to get after him a little bit earlier than I wanted to,” said jockey John Velazquez, who had ridden Musketier to victory in the last two runnings of Keeneland’s Grade 2 Elkhorn over 1 1/2 miles of turf.

“I know he kind of waits after he takes the lead.”

Grassy wound up on length ahead of Windward Islands, who finished a troubled third under jockey Chantal Sutherland.

Simmard and Rahy’s Attorney continued their personal duel to finish fourth and fifth, respectively, with Solitaire and Miami Deco completing the order of finish.

Musketier, co-highweighted at 125 pounds along with Rahy’s Attorney, picked up $90,000 to bring his career bankroll to $875,409.

Sent away as the second favorite, Musketier returned $7.20.

The final time of 2:29.54 was almost four seconds off the course record.