Edenwold stretches out in Coronation

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Edenwold will try to get a foothold on this year's Sovereign Award for Canadian champion 2-year-old Thursday at Woodbine in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity.

The 1 1/8-mile race was scheduled for last Sunday, but was moved to Thursday along with the $114,000 Labeeb Stakes because both races were on the part of Sunday's card that was canceled because of high winds.

Edenwold, a $100,000 yearling purchase by Jim and Alice Sapara, has three consecutive sprint stakes victories since winning his maiden in July. He upset Kentucky shipper Key West Breeze in the Colin Stakes for open company, then trounced Ontario-foaled runners in the Vandal, with a Beyer Speed Figure of 86.

Edenwold has been off since taking the seven-furlong Simcoe Stakes, for graduates of local yearling sales, on Sept. 4. Trainer Josie Carroll bypassed the Oct. 16 Cup and Saucer Stakes on the grass after Edenwold worked three-quarters in a slow 1:18 seconds around the dogs over the turf training course Oct. 12.

Edenwold is bred to handle distance and has trained as if he will run on, according to Carroll, who had him two-minute lick a mile on Monday morning.

"He was very ready to run, and I just needed to let him do something or he was going to be much too sharp by Thursday," Carroll said. "If [the Coronation] had been on the weekend, he would have worked, but being three days away, we couldn't do too much with him."

The 102nd running of the Coronation has lured 11 other Canadian-breds, including Pyramid Park, River Heights, French Beret, Tuftsville, and Shillelagh Slew.

Pyramid Park, River Heights, and French Beret finished first, second, and third in the 1 1/16-mile Cup and Saucer.

Pyramid Park won his maiden at 53-1 in the Cup and Saucer after stalking a fast pace. He probably prefers the grass, although he didn't have the best of trips in his last dirt start.

River Heights, a maiden, has handled both surfaces adequately.

French Beret has made each of his four starts on the turf, losing second in the Cup and Saucer by a nose. By Broad Brush, French Beret is bred for the dirt.

Tuftsville graduated at 19-1 first crack, going a mile and 70 yards in the slop here Oct. 23.

Shillelagh Slew won his maiden second time out at seven furlongs on the main track. After tracking the pace on the outside in the Cup and Saucer, he folded in the stretch as the favorite.