Melmich scores repeat victory in Dominion Day

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Melmich ($4.60) circled wide on the far turn before drawing clear to capture the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes for the second year in a row on Canada Day at Woodbine.

Gigantic Breeze set slow fractions Saturday in the 10-furlong event as a relaxed Melmich trailed while some six lengths in arrears on the backstretch under Eurico Da Silva. The field began to bunch up on the far turn, where Melmich made a seemingly effortless bid into serious contention.

Melmich wore down Gigantic Breeze in the stretch en route to a 1 1/2-length tally in a final time of 2:03.48. Gigantic Breeze held off reigning Canadian champion older male Are You Kidding Me for second in the six-horse field.

“He was galloping,” said Da Silva. “He was running very, very relaxed, just behind Are You Kidding Me. He was very sharp when I asked him and just took off from there.”

Trained by Kevin Attard, Melmich, a son of Wilko, earned $75,000 of the $130,750 purse for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman.

“He tries each and every time,” said Attard. “He’s never really disappointed us. He had a tough campaign last year, and it took its toll on him towards the end. He had a great winter at Niall Brennan’s farm in Ocala, and his comeback race was phenomenal. I didn’t expect him to run so well so soon. We’ve been pointing to this race for a long time.”