Aheadbyacentury makes turf debut in Breeders' Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes winner Wonder Gadot making her next start in the Grade 1, $1.25-million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25, a new Canadian-bred 3-year-old will become a classic winner in the third and final jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown – the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday afternoon.

As of Monday morning, there were eight horses probable for Saturday’s Breeders’ Stakes, which will be at 1 1/2 miles over Woodbine’s turf course.

Leading the list is Aheadbyacentury, the runner-up in both the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes. Trainer John Ross gave the go-ahead for Aheadbyacentury to run in the Breeders’ Stakes following a training session over Woodbine’s turf course Saturday morning.

“He went well,” Ross said. “It was very beneficial for him.

“For just going down the lane and galloping, he looked fine.”

Aheadbyacentury will make his turf debut in the Breeders’ Stakes. He is owned by Jack of Hearts Racing and J. R. Racing.

Two horses exit the July 28 Toronto Cup over 1 1/8 miles on turf to run in the Breeders’ Stakes. Neepawa bounced back from his 10th-place run in the Queen’s Plate to finish third in the Toronto Cup for trainer Mark Casse and owner Chiefswood Stable, while Toronto Cup fourth-place finisher Flight Deck will run in the Breeders’ for trainer Mike De Paulo and owner Le Amici Racing Stable.

Sam-Son Farm seeks its seventh Breeders’ Stakes win with Say the Word, who finished sixth in the Queen’s Plate for trainer Graham Motion. Say the Word won a maiden race three starts back on April 27 over 1 3/16 miles on Keeneland’s turf.

Stronach Stables will have two runners in the Breeders’ Stakes field, Real Dude and the filly Hot Cash. Real Dude, trained by Sid Attard, finished ninth in the Queen’s Plate as a maiden, and followed that by running third in a maiden special weight event over 1 1/4 miles on the turf July 25. Hot Cash, meanwhile, was third in the Woodbine Oaks and fourth, beaten a length, in the Bison City Stakes before winning a maiden race by 4 1/4 lengths over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta on July 27. Her maiden victory was her first start under the care of trainer Mike Doyle.

Rounding out the list of Breeders’ Stakes probables are Eskiminzin and Ginger Sky. Eskiminzin won the Bold Ruckus Stakes over six furlongs on yielding turf two starts back on June 24 before finishing fourth in the field of six in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on July 24 for trainer Carlos Grant and owner Jecara Farms. Ginger Sky, meanwhile, has faced older horses in his last three starts, all for trainer Francine Villeneuve and owners CHS Horse Racing Partners and Thomas Uniacke. He won a maiden race two starts back on June 24 and was fourth most recently in an allowance on July 15. Both races came over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta, and Ginger Sky will be making his turf debut in the Breeders’ Stakes.