Attard has two contenders in Cup and Saucer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard has a lot on his plate these days. Moira and Full Count Felicia are being pointed to the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar. King’s Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness has been working her way toward a start in the U.S., possibly the Grade 2 Sands Point at Aqueduct Oct. 12.

Attard sends out Dewolf and Faber in Sunday’s 87th running of the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes, a main turf route for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

In a 10-horse field, Dewolf should go favored under Rafael Hernandez. He has made all three of his starts in main turf sprints and graduated second-time out before doubling up in the seven-furlong Bull Page Stakes on Sept. 15. The son of Silent Name was cross-entered and scratched from the Grade 1 Summer a day earlier.

“He’s a Canadian-bred, Ontario-sired, and we want to gear towards some of the Canadian-bred races in the fall,” Attard said. “We thought we’d keep it simple for him right now, trying to give him some more confidence.”

Attard has no reservations with running Dewolf longer in the 1 1/16-mile Cup and Saucer, which he won in 2022 with the Silent Name gelding Philip My Dear.

“I actually think he’s going to like the distance,” Attard predicted. “He seems to rate pretty nicely.”

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Faber came from fifth in a six-horse field to land his only start, over Nitrogen, in a one-mile maiden special on the inner turf Aug. 30.

“He’s a horse that took a while to come around,” Attard said. “The last three weeks prior to him running, you could see him start to turn the corner. I was pleased with his performance. The filly who ran second came back to run a bang-up [third] in the Natalma Stakes. I think that’s a good frame of reference.”

Scorching, a $120,000 yearling purchase, won his maiden second time out in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe Stakes for graduates of Canadian yearling sales, earning a big 80 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

This will be Scorching’s first start going long and on the grass. The son of 10 percent turf sire Mo Town is from a mare who produced two winners from five turf runners.

Scorching worked nicely on the Tapeta last Sunday, a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.20 under Patrick Husbands, who retains the mount for trainer John Charalambous.

Trainer Mark Casse won last year’s Cup and Saucer with the eventual Canadian champion male 2-year-old My Boy Prince. The meet’s leading trainer entered Ashley’s Archer, No Time, and Princess of Storm. All three graduated second-time out when switching from Tapeta to the main turf.

Ashley’s Archer has the credentials to get home on top. After his dull debut, the son of Breeders’ Cup Mile victor Karakontie led throughout in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special Sept. 15, for which he got a 75 Beyer.

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