Attard and company sweep Soaring Free, Catch A Glimpse
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario − Trainer Kevin Attard, along with owners X-Men Racing VI and Madaket Stables, swept both 2-year-old turf stakes on Saturday’s King’s Plate undercard, taking the Soaring Free with De la Renta and the Catch A Glimpse with Meloni.
Favored Del la Renta dug in late to take the $153,300 Soaring Free over the slow-starting Speaker’s Speech. She won her debut on the Tapeta in front-running style, but she rallied from the back of the pack while running greenly in the 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free.
Speaker’s Speech lagged far behind the others on the backstretch after her sluggish beginning before mounting a four-wide rally to take the lead in early stretch. De le Renta looked to be going nowhere on the outside on turn before kicking strongly through the final furlong to prevail by a head, in a time of 1:17.19 over the firm ground.
Quipster finished another 5 1/2 lengths back in third. He was followed by Humble and Kind, Uncle Dodo, and 2-1 second choice Through the Years, who got caught up in a three-way pace battle.
Fraser Aebly rode De la Renta, a daughter of Woodbine Mile victor Oscar Performance, who was one of three fillies in the six-horse field.
“She showed a lot of signs of being a good horse,” Aebly said. “She fell off the bridle for me and relaxed early. Around the three and a half furlong pole, she started to pick it up when everybody started to make their move. She got a little green at the eighth pole—she started looking at the crowd, but she still got up in time, which is all that matters.”
De la Renta ($5.60) banked $90,000. Attard said the plan is to run her back here next month in the Grade 1 Natalma, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re in qualifier.
Meloni dazzles in Catch A Glimpse
Meloni ($4.70) was an ultra-impressive winner of the $158,600 Catch A Glimpse under John Velazquez.
Meloni broke awkwardly and slowly in the 6 1/2-furlong event before trailing on the backstretch, while Mrs D and Liberty Beach battled for the lead,
Meloni made up ground on the turn before Velazquez angled her wide for the drive, and she blew by the entire field in the stretch to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths, in quick time of 1:15.62.
Royal Foxtrot finished second after a lovely stalking trip, a half-length ahead of a valiant Mrs D. Sarayu, Epic Affair, Mo Cookie, Ghost Me, Madeleine Swann, and Liberty Beach completed the order of finish.
Meloni, a debut winner on the Tapeta here June 27, earned $90,000. She is expected to make her next start in either the Natalma or the Grade 1 Summer, another Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re event here Sept. 12.
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