Attard has ambitious campaign planned for Starship Jubilee

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard has some big plans for Starship Jubilee, who won the 2019 Sovereign Award voting for Canadian Horse of the Year in a photo finish over the equally popular Pink Lloyd.

Owned by Blue Heaven Farm, Starship Jubilee could complete her campaign in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland, which is three weeks after the $600,000 E.P. Taylor on Oct. 18 at Woodbine. The 7-year-old won last year’s Grade 1 E.P. Taylor over a strong European contingent.

Attard freshened up Starship Jubilee after she won her third straight stakes March 7 at Tampa, the Grade 2 Hillsborough. He bypassed Saturday’s Grade 2 Nassau Stakes with her.

“She’s coming along, just not quite ready yet,” Attard said. “We’re hoping to give the [Breeders’ Cup] a crack. She’s done everything right this year up to this point, so we want to keep that confidence up.”

Attard didn’t rule out running her in both the E.P. Taylor and the Breeders’ Cup.

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“She’s actually thrived off of three weeks sometimes,” Attard explained. “It’s something that we have marked on the calendar.”

Attard’s Queen’s Plate hopefuls Clayton and Malibu Mambo finished second and fifth, respectively, in a seven-furlong allowance June 14. Both were coming off the sidelines, and the favored Clayton had a troubled trip before galloping out in front.

“The race was oddly run,” Attard said. “Nobody wanted the lead. I’ve been trying to teach Clayton to rate, so the idea was to tuck in behind horses. In hindsight, he probably would have been able to dictate the pace. He got lots of education and came out of it in good shape. I thought Malibu Mambo ran super. He only got beat 2 1/2 lengths. I think he’s a natural two-turn horse. I’ve always been high on him.”

Attard sent out Woodbine Oaks contender Merveilleux to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance June 21.

“We have high hopes for her, possibly even tackling the boys at some point,” Attard said. “I thought she was waiting on horses a little in some of her races, and we’ve been working on that. She galloped out strong after the race and came out of it good. We’ll probably target the Selene with her.”

The Grade 3 Selene is on July 25, three weeks in advance of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks.

Blessed Truly has been idle since graduating impressively in the restricted Muskoka Stakes on Aug. 28.

“She’s coming along,” Attard said. “We’ve gone easy with her. I gave her a stiffer work last week on the turf. She worked well and got a lot out of it. She’s still a couple of works away from a race.”

Attard said last year’s Grade 2 Autumn Stakes winner Special Forces had a little setback.

“I’m probably going to put him away for the year,” Attard said. “It’s a shortened season. I’m going to bring him back next spring. He’s a good horse.”

◗ There’s no stakes on Sunday’s 10-race card. A field of eight was drawn for the featured first-level allowance, a five-furlong dash on the inner turf.