Ami's Holiday runs big for Breeders' Stakes win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The hard-luck Ami’s Holiday put it all together in Sunday’s $501,600 Breeders’ Stakes, rallying between rivals in late stretch to capture the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine.

Ami’s Holiday ($6.70) made his turf debut in the 12-furlong marathon for 3-year-olds. With Luis Contreras aboard, he raced in mid-pack on the backstretch and began to mount a wide rally on the far turn. After hitting the front at the eighth pole, he went on to score by three-quarters of a length in 2:30.12 over the firm ground.

Interpol finished a clear second over Squeeze the King, who nosed out Bangkok for third. Unikat, the 2-1 favorite, trailed the 12-horse field of Canadian-breds.

“I’m so happy for this horse,” Contreras said. “He just does a tremendous job all the time. I got a pretty clean trip. He’s been in trouble all the time, and he’s very brave. He’s just got a tremendous kick at the end.”

Ami’s Holiday, a son of Harlan’s Holiday, earned $300,000 for owner Ivan Dalos, who bred the colt’s broodmare sire, the Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop. He found trouble in the other two legs of the Triple Crown, when second here in the Queen’s Plate and third in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie. He worked five-eighths in a bullet 59.20 seconds over the turf training course last Sunday, much to trainer Josie Carroll’s satisfaction.

“This is a culmination of the breeding program of Mr. Dalos’ that interjected stamina and that class factor into the racehorse,” Carroll said. “[Ami’s Holiday] was a little tired after the Prince of Wales from the race and the shipping. I thought I’d be remiss not to [work] him on the turf to see how he’d do, and he lit it up. He was a little tired the next two days, and then the last three days, he’s been wanting to eat meat. He’s been really serious.”