Admiralty Pier proves best in Display Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Admiralty Pier staked his claim for Canadian champion male 2-year-old honors with a gutsy win over Pipers Warrior in Saturday’s $106,800 Display Stakes at Woodbine.
Amiralty Pier ($6.20) bided his time near the back of the nine-horse field early in the 1 1/16-mile route, as Sable Island set quick fractions. A stalking Sent From Heaven took control in the stretch, before Admiralty Pier rallied wide and Pipers Warrior closed inside to duke it out in the final sixteenth.
After laying in a little, Admiralty Pier prevailed by a head, in a time of 1:44.52. Sent From Heaven finished a clear third over 9-5 favorite Archaggelos, who was followed by Follow My Lead, Hoochiecoochie Sam, Sable Island, Thunder Ride, and Marcus.
Luis Contreras rode the English Channel gelding Admiralty Pier for trainer Barb Minshall.
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“I had a perfect trip all the way,” Contreras said. “I was just waiting. I decided to go to the outside in the stretch, and once I pulled my horse to the outside, he just gave me everything at the end.”
Admiralty Pier, who was coming off a nose loss in a seven-furlong allowance, banked $60,000 for owners Bruce Lunsford and Hoolie Racing Stable.
“Things happen the way they should,” Lunsford said. “I’m not sure we would have run back here, had we not gotten beaten by a nose, because we like those trophies at every level. Barb’s done a great job with the horse. This is special because I own him with my best friend of 50 years.”
Kingsport takes Sir Barton Stakes
Kingsport ($16.80) rallied wide from mid-pack under Jesse Campbell to take the $125,400 Sir Barton Stakes over the favored Mr Havercamp.
The race was marred by a spill involving Conquest Cavalry, who went down on the far turn. Freitag fell over him and was subsequently vanned off, while Conquest Cavalry was euthanized. Mr Havercamp was disqualified and placed seventh for interference.
Sid Attard trains Kingsport, who captured the 2015 Sir Barton. The son of Milwaukee Brew covered a mile and a sixteenth in 1:43.23.
