Lafontaine wins stakes debut in Toronto Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Lafontaine (18-1) sprung the upset as the longest shot on the board when he won his stakes debut in the $128,500 Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday for 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles.

Lafontaine tracked the front-running Heart to Heart in third along the rail early and got up in the final strides after a determined stretch drive under Steven Bahen.

“I’m very proud of this horse,” said trainer Elizabeth Charalambous, who has won three of her five starts at Woodbine this season. “He’s really figured it out now and knows why he’s here and what we’re asking of him. The talent was always there, he just had to figure it out.”

Lafontaine, a Cudney Stables homebred, has won back-to-back starts on turf and sports a career record of two wins from five starts.

◗ American invader Pirate’s Trove doubled up after an impressive maiden win at Arlington Park in May in Sunday’s $125,000 Duchess Stakes to remain undefeated in two starts, both for trainer Michael Stidham.

Pirate’s Trove tracked Zensational Bunny along the rail in the early going before holding off Cactus Kris by a nose to key a trifecta of shippers that saw Hillhouse High finish third.

◗ Mike Mehak, a winner of 113 races over an eight-year career as a Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse jockey, earned his first training win Sunday with Frank the Bank, who was his second starter.

Mehak, who became a licensed trainer earlier this year, has owned Frank the Bank through each of the 4-year-old gelding’s seven starts. Frank the Bank raced five times in 2013 for trainer Ronald Woods.

Frank the Bank is the only horse in Mehak’s stable and was purchased at a general horse auction in November 2012. Mehak also works as an exercise rider and farrier on the Woodbine backstretch.