Philip My Dear takes major class drop into restricted Cup and Saucer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Philip My Dear goes from Grade 1 company to a stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds in Sunday’s $250,000 Cup and Saucer at Woodbine. From the outside post 13, he should be favored in the 1 1/16-mile test in lane 1 on the main turf.

Philip My Dear rallied between rivals to win each of his first two outings sprinting on the grass, a maiden-special and the Soaring Free Stakes. He’s coming off a belated third Sept. 17 in Grade 1 Summer Stakes behind the impressive English invader Mysterious Night.

Trainer Kevin Attard believes Philip My Dear ran his race in the one-mile Summer on the main turf.

“The winner was obviously in a league of his own,” Attard said. “He made a run and was just third best. He came out of the race in good order. He had a nice, easy breeze last weekend. Against restricted company, this race should be right up his alley.”

Cool Kiss and British Artillery, both winners on turf, are two other obvious contenders.

Cool Kiss won his only start going away on Sept. 10 in a seven-furlong maiden special for Ontario-bred graduates of any sale. Trainer Mike DePaulo said the son of Kantharos had a mishap before what was to be his debut.

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“He had breezed okay and I put him in a race to get him started,” DePaulo recalled. “Something happened coming over at the tunnel – he jumped, slipped, and got scratched. I worked him from the gate a day or two later, and he came out of there with a few horses and just left them. I [gelded] him and just before he ran, he worked [five-eighths] in 59.60 on the turf, and I thought, wow, that’s pretty good, so I tried the auction race.

“If you watch the replay, just before the wire, he really kicks on and galloped out strong.”

DePaulo likes Cool Kiss’s chances after he recorded two more good five-furlong breezes.

“He’s kind of lean and not a big, heavy horse, so hopefully he’ll just skip over that turf and get it done,” said DePaulo, who’s won the Cup and Saucer twice.

British Artillery graduated in his third start over seven furlongs on Aug. 21, much to the delight of owner-trainer Barbara Minshall.

“He ran super,” Minshall said. “I’ve really liked him from the get-go. I was going to run him in the Summer, but I let him grow up a little bit and [waited for] the Cup and Saucer.”

◗ There are two $100,000 Ontario-sired stakes scheduled for 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf on Sunday, the Overskate for 3-year-olds and up and the Eternal Search for fillies and mares.

Not So Quiet will attempt to win the Overskate for the third year in a row. The 7-year-old wound up ninth in his only start this year in the April 17 Thorncliffe Stakes on the Tapeta.

Lorena will try to notch her second restricted stakes in a row in the Eternal Search. She wasn’t at her best in the summer heat before landing the five-furlong Zadracarta over the inner course on Sept. 4.

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