Armata has eye on upsetting Woodbine Mile with Vanish

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Vito Armata knows the chestnut Vanish will be a longshot when he runs him in next Saturday’s $800,000 Woodbine Mile, but the affable trainer is no stranger to pulling off a massive upset in a stakes.

In 2002, Armata saddled 82-1 outsider T J’s Lucky Moon to win the $1 million Queen’s Plate. He was the longest-priced winner in the modern history of the storied event.

Vanish was claimed for $40,000 by Armata on behalf of Eight Star Racing Stables when he captured a seven-furlong optional claimer here July 28. In his first start for his new connections in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes on Aug. 25, Vanish came from sixth to end up second behind the favored Mr Havercamp, earning a career-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Armata said Vanish may not have fired his best shot over the yielding ground in the about seven-furlong Play the King, which is the local prep for the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

“It looked to me like he couldn’t grab a hold of the turf, and he still finished second,” Armata said. “The guys who own the horse want to take a shot. It’s up to them, because they have to put up the money. He’s got his problems, but he’s a nice horse.”

Vanish graduated in his second start at 2 in the 2016 Clarendon Stakes, when he was trained by Mark Casse. He was sidelined for a year after finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Swale Stakes in February 2017 at Gulfstream and hasn’t been worse than fourth in six outings this year.

Casse isn’t the easiest horseman to claim off of, but Armata has been successful claiming both Vanish and Ikerrin Road from him. Armata took Ikerrin Road for $32,000 from Casse in May of last year and has won five races with him, including the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes.

◗ The Jackpot Hi 5 carryover is a whopping $559,700 heading into Friday’s Woodbine program. Eight fillies and mares are in the ninth, the Hi 5 race, a $16,000 claimer scheduled for seven furlongs on grass.

Woodbine has not announced when there will be a mandatory payout on the Jackpot Hi 5, but it figures to be on Woodbine Mile Day, Sept. 15.

◗ Friday’s nominal feature is a nonwinners-of-three hybrid race for Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers. Waldorf was second in back-to-back shorter sprints at the same level earlier this summer for leading trainer Norm McKnight, who claimed him for $40,000 on June 1. Leading rider Eurico Da Silva will ride Waldorf for the first time in the seven-furlong Tapeta race.