Jupiter finds first stakes victory in Display
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Jupiter surged late between rivals to land his first stakes under Fraser Aebly in the $134,250 Display, the first of two juvenile stakes on Sunday’s Woodbine card.
Jupiter ($3.80) raced in third on a live rail through the turn in the seven-furlong sprint as Navy Street set a dawdling pace while being pressed by Timeframe.
Navy Street had a 2 1/2-length cushion at the eighth pole before Jupiter and the slow-starting first-timer Baaeed Alynna began to make up good ground. Jupiter dug in late to win by a half-length in a time of 1:24.83, while Navy Street nosed out Baaeed Alynna for second.
Speights Will and Timeframe completed the order of finish in a field reduced to five after the scratches of Streetshavenoname and Lennox the Grey.
“With a couple scratches in the race, we had to play it from the break and see what happens,” Aebly said. “We ended up having a pocket trip on the rail. It worked out. When we hit the eighth pole, and I really set him down and asked him to finish up, he did. He found that other gear for me.”
A gelded son of Upstart, Jupiter collected $75,000 for D.J. Stable and trainer Mark Casse.
*** Favored Piper’s Gift proved her blowout maiden score wasn’t a fluke when she doubled up with authority in the $143,250 Glorious Song Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Piper’s Gift tracked the pace along the inside under Rafael Hernandez in the seven-furlong event as the debuting Ada Clare led with Luv Your Neighbor in second.
Hernandez angled Piper’s Gift outside for the drive and she mowed down Ada Clare at the eighth pole en route to a 5 1/2-length win in a time of 1:23.56, which was over a second quicker than the Display.
Sweet Fusion was along for third. She was followed by Sacred Goddess, Smooch Up, Mathematical, and Luv Your Neighbor. Dunmore Beach was scratched.
Trained by Dale Desruisseaux, Piper’s Gift ($4.70) graduated in her previous race by eight lengths with a 79 Beyer Speed Figure in a six-furlong maiden special on the Tapeta.
“Off that effort last time, you always worry about a bounce, but she probably had her best breeze all year in the interim,” Desruisseaux said. “I was pretty confident coming in. She’s maturing every week. She’s getting to relax a little bit more, like today. (Hernandez) said he could have been on the lead if he wanted to, and she sat in behind a horse. She just needs that little shut-off and I think she’s going to mature to do that.”
Piper’s Gift is the first stakes winner for her sire, Yorkton, who was campaigned by her owner-breeder, Chiefswood Stables. She earned $90,000, which included $15,000 in bonus money for being an Ontario-bred.
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