Nobals back for three-peat in loaded Kennedy Road
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Aside from winning the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Nobals may be best known for taking the last two editions of the Grade 2 Kennedy Road at Woodbine. The popular 7-year-old usually fires big when venturing north of the border and should be well backed in Saturday’s renewal of the Kennedy Road, a six-furlong Tapeta sprint worth $200,000.
Nobals’s first successful Woodbine invasion was his victory in the 2022 Woodstock Stakes. He got a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the 2024 Kennedy Road over Canadian champion Patches O’Houlihan and was only beaten a neck when second in last year’s Grade 2 Nearctic.
Nobals beat a light field with a 95 Beyer in last year’s Kennedy Road. He finished second in his penultimate start in the Nearctic, over a turf course labeled as good. He was third after a stalking trip last time out in a conditioned allowance on the grass at Keeneland.
Jockey Walter Rodriquez is named on Nobals by trainer Larry Rivelli.
The Kennedy Road drew an outstanding seven-horse field that also includes Arbiter and the Mark Casse-trained duo of My Boy Prince and Victory Achieved.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Arbiter came from his Keeneland base to capture the six-furlong Woodstock for 3-year-olds by six lengths with a 98 Beyer April 26. He has only raced once since, finishing a flat fourth in a June 7 conditioned allowance on the turf at Churchill.
Canada’s champion male 2-year-old in 2023, My Boy Prince won the 2024 Plate Trial Stakes before finishing second as the favorite in the historic King’s Plate, both over Woodbine’s Tapeta. He evolved into a very productive turf sprinter with three stakes scores to his credit this year, including the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland. Casse has no qualms with the surface change.
“I’m not concerned at all – he likes [Tapeta],” Casse said.
Victory Achieved is also versatile in terms of surface and his forward approach complements My Boy Prince’s closing style nicely.
Victory Achieved failed to make it into the field for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland after winning the Oct. 3 Nearctic with a 100 Beyer. Among his four Tapeta tallies was a victory off a winter layoff in a five-furlong conditioned allowance at Gulfstream May 30.
Majorette Stakes
Saturday’s $125,000 Majorette Stakes is a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Meilani should be among the favorites in competitive field of eight.
Meilani dropped a nose decision to Dixie Law in the May 18 Ruling Angel Stakes, after which she cut back to six furlongs and took the Alywow Stakes. She got a break after a troubled sixth in the Aug. 8 Shenandoah Stakes on the grass at Colonial and is exiting a third against males in the Sophomore Stakes here on the Tapeta.
“She’s arguably better on synthetic,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “She didn’t have a great trip at Colonial. She missed the break, got bottled in, and had nowhere to run.”
Casse sends out Charmingly Evasive, Classic Move, Spa Prospector, and Alywow runner-up Happy Destination, who’s coming off a conditioned allowance score.
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