Camp Creek connects to pay $55.30 in Breeders' Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario—Camp Creek, a $12,500 supplement, captured the $501,200 Breeders’ Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, with a sweeping rally from left field under Rafael Hernandez at Woodbine on Sunday.
Camp Creek ($55.30) trailed in 11th early in the 12-furlong marathon, as Scholar Athlete set an honest pace, with Narrow Escape in close proximity. Queen’s Plate winner Sir Dudley Digges came from sixth to hit the front in the stretch, before Camp Creek came flying on the outside in the final furlong to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, in 2:29.45 over the firm ground.
“He broke good,” said Hernandez, who won last year’s Queen’s Plate on Shaman Ghost. “I had a little trouble in the first turn. One horse came out a little bit. He grabbed a little bit of heels, so he settled back even more and he relaxed himself. At the three-eighths, I started to ask him to pick it up. When we turned for home, I put him in the clear, and he did everything on his own.”
Camp Creek earned $300,000 for Hillsbrook Farm. Trainer Rachel Halden sent out Camp Creek, a son of Dunkirk, to win his maiden in his first turf start over nine furlongs July 15.
“I can’t say I was expected [to win], but we were hopeful and thought he deserved a chance,” said Halden. “To me, he was just an improving horse. I’d been looking to get him on the grass for a while, and when he did, he won quite nicely, and it looked like the stretch-out in distance wouldn’t be an issue for him.”
Leavem in Malibu wound up four lengths behind the runner-up in third. Scholar Athlete faded to fourth, while the favored Conquest Daddyo was a non-threatening fifth, finishing just ahead of second choice Amis Gizmo.