Field of 10 likely for Breeders' Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Queen’s Plate winner Sir Dudley Digges and Prince of Wales Stakes winner Amis Gizmo appear to be poised for a rematch in Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine, the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Entries for the Breeders’ Stakes will close Thursday, but as of last Sunday, a field of 10 was expected for the 1 1/2-mile journey around the E.P. Taylor turf course, including the aforementioned winners of the first two Canadian classics.

Sir Dudley Digges won his maiden on turf at Keeneland on April 22 and has made five of his 10 starts on grass, but Amis Gizmo has yet to try turf, aside from one breeze over Woodbine’s turf training track last October. Amis Gizmo breezed five furlongs on the main track here in 1:01.40 last Sunday after turf training was canceled due to steady rain on Saturday.

Trainer Josie Carroll said Amis Gizmo has been doing “unbelievable” since his 5 1/2-length victory on dirt at Fort Erie in the Prince of Wales on July 26.

“I actually had to work him [Aug. 6] because he was feeling so good,” she said.

Also expected for the Breeders’ Stakes is the Mark Casse-trained duo of Leavem in Malibu and Conquest Daddyo. Leavem in Malibu would be looking to improve on his runner-up finish in the Prince of Wales while making his first start on turf in the Breeders’ Stakes, while Conquest Daddyo would enter off a 1 3/4-length victory in the Toronto Cup Stakes on turf over 1 1/8 miles July 24.

Trainer Malcolm Pierce also has a pair for owner-breeder Sam-Son Farm in Last Class to Go and Gotta Get Away. Last Class to Go won his maiden over 1 1/4 miles on grass against Ontario-sired competition July 27, while Gotta Get Away has won two straight on turf after dead-heating with Berliner in a first-level allowance on July 17.

Rounding out the probable field are Prince of Wales Stakes third-place finisher Niigon’s Edge; Queen’s Plate fourth-place finisher Scholar Athlete; Rocket Plan, who finished third in the Toronto Cup and was placed second after the disqualification of Dragon Bay; and Camp Creek, who would have to be supplemented.