Highwaytothemoon holds off Military Time in Queenston Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Highwaytothemoon went to the lead from the outset and turned away a late bid from favored Military Time to capture Sunday’s $125,000 Queenston Stakes, an early prep for the Aug. 15 King’s Plate at Woodbine.

With Rafael Hernandez aboard, Highwaytothemoon set moderate fractions in the seven-furlong sprint while Thundermaker tracked him in second, with Military Time saving ground in third.

Fraser Aebly angled Military Time wide at the quarter pole and they took aim at Highwaytothemoon in the stretch, but the latter repelled the challenge to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:23.25.

Brachetto closed from fourth for third. Thundermaker, Amore Mio and Believin rounded out the order of finish in the race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

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The victory gave Hernandez and trainer Dale Desruisseaux a sweep of the two weekend stakes at Woodbine, after Piper’s Gift won the Fury on Saturday. Desruisseaux said the gelded son of Ransom the Moon is unlikely to stretch out on the Plate trail.

“I think he’s a one-turn kind of horse,” Desruisseaux explained. “Maybe in a perfect world, if he gets the right company, he gets two turns, but going against those top horses, he probably doesn't get the distance.”

Highwaytothemoon ($8.10) earned $75,000 in his first stakes score for Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc., who sent him to Ocala for the winter.

“I think we did right by the horse near the end of last year,” Desruisseaux recalled. “He got a little bone bruising in his ankles, so we put him away and cleaned them up. We sent him down to Florida with Slade and Kelly Callaghan and they did a good job wintering him for me. He came up here in great shape, and it went good from there.”

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