Nobals wears down Patches O’Houlihan in Kennedy Road

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals and the favored Canadian champion sprinter Patches O’Houlihan threw it down in Saturday’s Grade 2 Kennedy Road at Woodbine, with Nobals prevailing under the wily veteran E.T. Baird.

Nobals broke on top in the six-furlong dash before Patches O’Houlihan rushed up from his inside draw to take a slim lead through a quick opening quarter.

Patches O’Houlihan led in the two-path on the turn while pressed by Nobals to his outside and Remuda to his inside. Nobals wore down “Patches” in the final furlong to score by three-quarters of a length, in a final time of 1:08.59. War Bomber wound up third in the six-horse field.

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Baird wasn’t originally named on the Kentucky-based Nobals and said trainer Larry Rivelli gave him the mount on short notice.

“I was actually caught off guard,” Baird explained. "Larry gave me a call on Thursday and told me I’m going to Woodbine on Saturday. My passport had expired, so I spent all (Friday) at the passport agency in Chicago.

“My horse broke really well and I was happy, because I let him come out of there running. It forced (Patches) to run (hard). I just sat real comfortable. It worked out well. The way he acted today, in the post parade and everything about him, was just really professional.”

Nobals ($8.40) earned $105,000 of the $182,000 purse for Patricia’s Hope LLC. The 5-year-old son of Noble Mission had gone winless in three previous outings this year, all on the grass, including two Grade 2 stakes in Kentucky.

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