Kaukokaipuu surprises in Queenston Stakes
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kaukokaipuu posted a 6-1 upset while landing his first stakes on Sunday at Woodbine in the $127,000 Queenston, a prep for the $1 million King’s Plate here Aug. 20.
With Rico Walcott aboard, Kaukokaipuu tracked the dueling leaders Paramount Prince and Poulin in O T through the turn in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.
Kaukokaipuu awaited room before kicking in strongly through the final sixteenth to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over Paramount Prince, in a time of 1:23.55.
Poulin in O T weakened to third and One Bay Hemingway was a wide fourth while the favored Moon Landing trailed the 12-horse field of Canadian-breds.
“I left the gates not bad,” said Walcott, who was notching his first Woodbine stakes. “(Paramount Prince) left pretty sharp, too. He was right next to me, and then I was behind him. I was boxed in and had to wait and wait. There was still nowhere to go when I straightened up. Halfway down the stretch, I pulled out and he kicked on and I kept riding him to the pole.”
The victory was also the first stakes score for trainer Tedston Holder, who sent out the son of Mr Speaker to earn his diploma in his second start of the season May 20.
“We stopped on him in early October and he had a good winter down in Florida,” Holder recalled.
Kaukokaipuu ($15.50) earned $75,000 for Culpepper Island Syndicate.
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