Lucky Score rallies to take Highlander
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The aptly-named longshot Lucky Score benefited from an ideal setup to take the Grade 2, $224,900 Highlander at Woodbine under a patient ride from Sahin Civaci.
Favored One Timer battled three-wide for the lead with Cadamosto and Outlaw Kid in the six-furlong main turf sprint.
Lucky Score saved ground at the rear of the field beside Oceanic before they both rallied inside to run one-two. Lucky Score prevailed by a half-length, in a time of 1:07.86 over the firm ground.
One Timer finished a valiant third, and Old Chestnut was fourth in the nine-horse event.
It was the second straight stakes score on the card for Civaci and trainer Mark Casse, who also won the Grade 3 Selene with Solo Alum.
“He’s a horse who comes off the pace,” Civaci said. “It takes him a while to get rolling. Luckily, there was a lot of speed up front. That helped a lot. It was just about finding the right position, a clear path, and getting to the wire before they get there. I had a lot of horse. I just needed to get after him a little bit. He kicked on and fought good.”
Lucky Score ($30.60) earned $144,000 for the partnership of Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, and Gary Barber, who bought the son of Lookin at Lucky privately over the winter.
Tyson wore down his favored stablemate, Treason, in the stretch to land his first stakes in Saturday’s Grade 3, $154,400 Dominion Day.
Tyson ($10.30) was stuck in traffic on the backstretch in the 1 1/8-mile route, as Treason stalked a fast pace from a three-wide position.
Treason made the lead early in the stretch, while Tyson was in the midst of a wide rally, and Tyson made up ground quickly on his left lead to win by a half-length, in a time of 1:48.32.
Gaston checked in third and War Bomber faded to fourth in the nine-horse field, after helping to set the pace.
Rafael Hernandez rode Tyson, a son of Tapit, for trainer Josie Carroll.
“It was a tough trip for a great big, long-striding horse,” Carroll said. “He was getting shuffled around and [Hernandez] was sitting and sitting until he could get him out of there. Everything that could go wrong for him went wrong, but when he got out, he just fired. He was closing strongly in his last race, and I was expecting a big race from him today. Once he gets a chance to use that big stride, he just takes off.”
Tyson collected $90,000 for owners Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures.
[]Heavy rain fell before the Grade 2 Nassau late on the card, which downgraded the turf to yielding. Fev Rover relished the going in a last-to-first victory in the one-turn mile for fillies and mares.
Favored Moira, the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year, finished 4 1/4 lengths back in second. Millie Girl was along for third in the nine-horse field.
The final time was 1:40.03.
Patrick Husbands rode Fev Rover, who gave Casse his third stakes success on the Canada Day card.
“I was wide, outside, on the best part of the track,” Husbands said. “My horse was enjoying it. I cut the corner and it worked out perfect.”
In her first start of the year, Fev Rover returned $9.10 and earned $105,000 for owner Tracy Farmer.
The handle on the 11-race card was $10.45 million.
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