Calgary Cat bounces back with Achievement victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian champion male sprinter Calgary Cat made amends for a rare poor showing May 17 in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes by capturing Saturday’s $150,000 Achievement Stakes at Woodbine.

Bear No Joke and Sparrowhawk vied for the lead through fast splits in the six-furlong dash. Calgary Cat mounted a wide rally on the turn and made the lead inside the eighth pole before holding off Phil’s Dream to prevail in 1:08.95, which was 0.79 seconds off the Polytrack record.

Phil’s Dream, the 2013 champion sprinter, lacked room early in the stretch before closing on the outside to finish a half-length back in second. Speightsong edged out Bear No Joke for third in a field reduced to seven with the scratch of Eighty Nine Red.

Eurico Da Silva rode the Kevin Attard-trained Calgary Cat, who collected $90,000 for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman.

“He ran so hard coming off the bench [winning] the Jacques Cartier Stakes, and he just didn’t bounce back,” Attard said. “I had some reservations going [into the Vigil] and should have stuck with my gut feeling.”

Samuel Dechamplain wins Charlie Barley

Samuel Dechamplain, a 16-1 outsider ridden by Emma Wilson, upset the 4-5 favorite Flashaway in Saturday’s supporting feature, the $114,400 Charlie Barley Stakes.

Samuel Dechamplain set honest fractions in the one-mile turf route before being overtaken early in the stretch by Flashaway, but he came back on late to score by a half-length in 1:34.73. Decision Day wound up third in the seven-horse field of 3-year-olds.

Samuel Dechamplain banked $72,000 in his first stakes success for Eaton Hall Farm and trainer Mike Doyle.