Mansetti enters King's Plate picture with easy victory in Woodstock Stakes
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Mansetti manhandled his seven rivals in Sunday’s $148,000 Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine while stamping himself as an early prospect for the $1 million King’s Plate in August.
Chicago shipper Big Vince and Kokomo fought for the lead until the head of the stretch in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds where a stalking Mansetti was angled off the inside by Pietro Moran.
Mansetti ran down the leaders in midstretch en route to a four-length score, in a time of 1:10.70. Big Vince was disqualified from second to fourth for interference at the break. Notorious Gangster was promoted to second after mounting a wide rally from well back in the eight-horse field. Church and State was scratched.
Moran, the early leader in the jockey standings at the meet, was riding without his apprentice allowance.
“He broke well and relaxed really good,” Moran said. “I just watched those two in front. Around the turn, I was sitting on a lot of horse. Once he got the hole, he just kicked.”
Kevin Attard, fresh off winning the 2024 Sovereign Award for outstanding trainer on Thursday, has been impressed by the progress shown by Mansetti, who had been off since coming up empty over a laboring dirt surface in the Jan. 4 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
“If you would have asked me last fall if the Plate was on the radar, I would have said no, but he’s really matured from 2 to 3,” Attard said. “He trained really well going into this race. He just seems to be a lot more relaxed with the blinkers off. Mentally, I just think he’s a different horse.”
Mansetti ($6.80) earned $90,000 for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling, who bought the Ontario-bred son of Collected for $40,000 at the 2024 OBS April 2-year-old in training sale.
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