Excaper takes Connaught Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Excaper and Something Extra put on quite a show in the $200,800 Connaught Cup at Woodbine on Saturday, with Excaper prevailing in near-course-record time in the Grade 2 stakes.

Excaper ($13.10) tracked the leading Something Extra through sizzling fractions in the seven-furlong turf sprint. He joined Something Extra on the lead early in the stretch, then maintained a slim advantage the rest of the way en route to a half-length tally in 1:19.53 over firm ground.

Laugh Track rallied to beat out Mr. Online for third, while the favored Dimension trailed the nine-horse field after bobbling at the break.

Justin Stein rode Excaper for trainer Ian Black. Stein said he had planned on being on the lead but resorted to Plan B after getting outrun early by Something Extra, who had won the two previous editions of the Connaught Cup.

“I wanted to be on the lead, but it worked out,” Stein said. “[Something Extra] had me worried. I have a lot of respect for that horse, the way he ran today. He dug in, and my horse just found an extra gear, I guess.”

Excaper, the runner-up in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, banked $120,000 for his first stakes score for owners Richard Kaster and Frederick Wieting.