Cairo Caper tries Tapeta again in Display Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Cairo Caper drops out of the Grade 1 Summer and goes back to the Tapeta in Sunday’s $125,000 Display, one of two seven-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds on the Woodbine card along with the $125,000 Glorious Song for fillies.

Cairo Caper graduated second time out on the main turf and then doubled up in the 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free Stakes. When reaching out a mile in a fast renewal of the Summer, he flattened out to finish fifth in a race dominated by the closing English invaders New Century and Al Qudra.

Trainer Nathan Squires was content with Cairo Caper’s performance in the Summer.

“I think we rode him all wrong,” Squires said. “We kept him closer to the lead because, that day, speed was holding on the turf. He was chasing a [fast pace] and flattened out at the end, but he ran well.”

Squires said Cairo Caper is getting a break after Sunday.

“He’s good,” Squires said. “I didn’t have to do much with him. He’s fit. I decided to run him in the Display, and that will be it for the year. Hopefully, he goes out a winner.”

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Cairo Caper finished third on debut the only time he competed over the Tapeta.

“He drew [post] 1, acted up in the gate, and missed the break,” Squires recalled. “He got boxed in for most of the race going five furlongs. When he did see daylight, he finished third and galloped out well. I think he’ll run on anything. He’s always worked well on the Tapeta.”

Mansetti will try to give trainer Kevin Attard his third Display victory, following Tripolina last year and Hicksy in 2021. The son of Collected won his Sept. 26 debut in a six-furlong maiden special in front-running style with a 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were very impressed by that first race, not only that he won it, but in the manner he did it,” Attard said. “I thought it was an extremely professional effort from start to finish.”

Bucaro is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Mike Trombetta, who’s 0 for 10 at the meet but is no stranger to stakes success at Woodbine. Bucaro graduated on the grass at Colonial Downs and is exiting a victory in the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile over Presque Isle’s Tapeta.

The Glorious Song also drew a six-horse field, and trainer Mark Casse entered three – Charlotte’s Heart, Souper Supreme, and Winterberry.

Charlotte’s Heart defeated New-York-breds the only time she saw action in an Aug. 25 maiden special weight sprint on the Saratoga turf.

Souper Supreme has won three restricted races in a row with ease, including the Muskoka Stakes on Tapeta and the Victorian Queen Stakes on turf.

Winterberry dusted maiden special rivals over 6 1/2 furlongs with a 74 Beyer at first asking on the Tapeta before coming up empty after a stalking trip in the Summer.

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