Aldous Snow targets Halton Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Aldous Snow, who won the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes for the third time in four years at Woodbine on July 2 for trainer Malcolm Pierce and owner and breeder Sam-Son Farm, will now point to the $125,000 Halton Stakes on Aug. 30.

The Halton Stakes is run over 1 1/2 miles on turf on Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day. Pierce, however, didn’t rule out a start for the 8-year-old gelding in the Grade 2, $175,000 Nijinsky Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on turf July 29.

“The Halton is our big goal, and whether we do the Nijinsky or not on the way there, we’ll have to see how he does in between,” he said.

Aldous Snow was making his first start of the year in the Singspiel after running sixth in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes in December to close out his 2016 campaign. Pierce said he wasn’t expecting such a good effort off the long layoff.

“I was a little surprised,” he said. “Without a prep race and all that kind of stuff, to go a mile and a half first time out this year and about six or seven months between races, I was really impressed with the way he ran that day. We know he has those kinds of races in him, but usually not first time out in the season.”

Pierce said he had considered starting Aldous Snow in an allowance prep for the Singspiel over 1 1/4 miles on turf June 9 but couldn’t get him ready in time.

“There was an allowance race that we just weren’t ready for,” said. “We were a couple of works short. As it worked out, it was probably better not to have the prep race and go in there with a fresh horse.”

Aldous Snow has nine wins from 37 career starts, with earnings of more than $850,000.