ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Heading into 2020, if you had told an avid racing fan that a deadly pandemic would turn the world upside down and lead to the postponement of the Canadian Triple Crown, which could be swept by a one-eyed colt with an obscure pedigree, you would have been committed. Mighty Heart, the one-eyed wonder by Dramedy, will indeed try to become the 13th Canadian Triple Crown winner in Saturday’s $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes, going one lap around the main turf course at Woodbine. From post 8, he’s the even-money favorite. Sent off at 13-1 from post 13 in the Sept. 12 Queen’s Plate on Tapeta, Mighty Heart led all the way for an easy 7 1/2-length win under Daisuke Fukumoto, a young rider from Japan with the patience of a journeyman. In the second Triple Crown race, the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt Sept. 29 at Fort Erie, Fukumoto rated Mighty Heart in a stalking position before they cruised by Clayton in midstretch en route to a daylight score. Fukumoto, 23, is confident Mighty Heart will stay the 1 1/2-mile distance of the Breeders’. He was aboard when the colt breezed an easy five-eighths in company with Woodbine Oaks winner Curlin’s Voyage on the turf last Saturday. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. “I’m not too much worried about the grass and the distance,” Fukumoto said. “He should be okay.” According to trainer Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart’s first two poor performances at Fair Grounds were write-offs, including his only turf start during which he blew the first turn. “He was green and just figuring it all out,” Carroll said. “You can’t even look at those two races, really. He matured. Every time he ran, he got better. I thought going into the Plate he was so much on the improve, he deserved his shot.” Mighty Heart is owned by his breeder, Larry Cordes, who has turned into an ambassador for small-time owners in the game. “I’m excited for the horse and his fans,” Cordes said. “With the problem that we’ve all had with COVID, it’s given people an up. I was here for [his turf] workout on Saturday, and he did it effortlessly. You couldn’t have asked for a better workout. His sire, Dramedy, won a major stakes race going 1 1/2 miles on the turf at Keeneland.” Adding to the intrigue in the Breeders’ is that Mighty Heart’s main rival could be his own stablemate, Belichick, named after the crusty New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Belichick (7-2) is a maiden, but a good one. On a speed-favoring surface in the 1 1/4-mile Queen’s Plate, he rallied from 11th to finish a clear second in just his third start. He was previously third behind Shirl’s Speight when debuting July 4 over seven furlongs on turf and second on Aug. 1 going 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta, both against maiden special weight company. “I think Belichick will love 1 1/2 miles on the turf,” Carroll predicted. “I just hope it’s not too soft. I’d prefer a little firmer ground for him. He worked unbelievably well the other day [five-eighths] in 59 [seconds], and his ears were pricked. He’s a good horse.” Carroll opted to bypass the Prince of Wales with Belichick to give the $300,000 yearling purchase by Lemon Drop Kid more time between races. “He ran so well in the Plate,” Carroll said. “To come back that quickly with a horse that had just put in the best effort of his life, I thought he’d bounce.” Luis Contreras will ride Belichick for NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods. Clayton (6-1) faded to third while running greenly in the Plate. He was a much better second in the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales after going four wide on both turns. Trainer Kevin Attard is content with him heading into the Breeders’. “The distance might be a little out of his reach, but he’s doing really well,” Attard said. Clayton has never raced on grass, and the son of Bodemeister doesn’t have an abundance of green in his pedigree. His rider, Rafael Hernandez, has won the Breeders’ in three of the past four years. The 12-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds includes the supplements English Conqueror and Told It All. The others are Deviant, Enchant Me, Glorious Tribute, Kunal, Meyer, Muskoka Giant, and Olliemyboy. The 129th Breeders’ goes as race 10 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern. It will be broadcast on TSN in Canada from 5-6 p.m.