Lukes Alley rallies wide to take Durham Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario —Lukes Alley came on strongly under Luis Contreras to land his first stakes in the Grade 3, $174,000 Durham Cup at Woodbine Saturday.

Lukes Alley ($9.80) raced on the outside in fourth on the backstretch in the nine-furlong route, as Are You Kidding Me set slow fractions. Lukes Alley swooped in on the leaders while four wide on the far turn, and then held off a charging His Race to Win in the last furlong to prevail by three-quarters of a length, in a quick 1:49.23.

“He was nice and relaxed,” Contreras said. “The only horse I was worried about was His Race to Win. My horse laid in a little in the stretch, but I when switched my whip and gave him a couple, and he [straightened out].”

Lukes Alley is owned by Melynk Racing Stable and trained by Josie Carroll. They also teamed up to capture the Grade 3 TCA at Keeneland with Leigh Court earlier on the afternoon.

Are You Kidding Me faded to third in the final eighth. He was followed by the favored Alpha Bettor, and shippers Boisterous and Developer.