Channel Maker gets his nose in front in Breeders' Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The favored Saratoga shipper Channel Maker captured Sunday’s 126th running of the Breeders’ Stakes by a nose over Final Copy, giving jockey Rafael Hernandez his second straight victory in the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine.
Major Eclipse set soft fractions in the 1 1/2-mile turf marathon, with Final Copy in close proximity in the 10-horse field of Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. The Bill Mott-trained Channel Maker raced wide at the rear of the pack, commenced a four-wide rally mid-way on the far turn, and then took dead aim at leaders early in the stretch.
Channel Maker drifted in through the lane before dueling with Final Copy in the final furlong, and then dug in late to win in a hand-timed final clocking of 2:29.70 over the firm ground.
King and His Court, last year’s Canadian champion male 2-year-old, rallied strongly on the outside to finish a half-length back in third. Seeking Albert wound up fourth, and was followed by Woodbridge, Lookin At Bravo, Conquest Lemonraid, Major Eclipse, Glencairn, and Cool Catomine.
There were three claims of foul, including two against the winner, but all were dismissed by the stewards.
Hernandez, who won last year’s Breeders’ on longshot Camp Creek, said he tried to save ground early and then ended up going wide to avoid traffic.
“I didn’t want to take any chances, so that’s why I got the horse [in the clear],” Hernandez said. “Turning for home, when he switched leads, he put his head up high and tried to lay on other horses. That’s why I switched the whip and tried to keep in my lane. I tried to keep him straight. He’s a difficult horse to ride. But he kept running. He finished good. I like the way he finished. He’s doing better and better, and he’s so much better on the turf.
Patrick Husbands said his mount, the Roger Attfield-trained Final Copy, ran bravely in defeat.
“He really fought back hard,” Husbands said. “The last jump and a half, I thought he was going to catch him.”
Channel Maker ($5.50), a gelded son of English Channel, earned $240,000 of the $400,800 purse for owners Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber.