Proven Strategies uses speed to win Toronto Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The speedy Proven Strategies ran a determined race to take the $100,400 Toronto Cup Stakes in a mild upset at Woodbine Saturday.

Proven Strategies broke on top and then battled for the lead with three others on the backstretch in the one-mile turf route for 3-year-olds. He opened up a clear lead along the inside on the turn, and then held off the favored Shirl’s Speight in the stretch to score by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:33.78 over the firm ground. Proven Strategies paid $8.60 to win.

Lucky Curlin rallied wide to nose out Shirl’s Speight for second, giving trainer Mark Casse a sweep of the top two positions.

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The Toronto Cup was the eighth stakes win of the year for Justin Stein, the meet’s leading rider.

“I spoke with Mark on the phone this morning,” Stein said. “He told me the horse doesn’t want to really be in behind horses too much. He wants to be free-running. He’s really fast leaving there, so it’s easy to get position early. We had the one-hole, so our plan was to go hard out of the gate. He settled early, was relaxed around the turn, and saved a lot of horse for the stretch run.”

By Sky Mesa, Proven Strategies banked $60,000 for DJ Stable and Empire Racing Club.

* Boardroom prevailed as the 2-1 favorite in Saturday’s other stakes at Woodbine, the seven-furlong Duchess for 3-year-old fillies.

Boardroom rallied four wide from off a hot pace to prevail by three-quarters of a length over Our Secret Agent, with Fly So Pretty back in third.

Boardroom earned $60,000 of the $101,800 purse for owner LNJ Foxwoods. The daughter of Commissioner covered the distance in 1:21.51 under Luis Contreras, who got a leg up from trainer Josie Carroll.