River Seven to King Edward Stakes next

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – River Seven kicked off his 2015 campaign with a game third-place finish in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes on May 30 and will be looking to build off of that effort in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 King Edward Stakes.

With the scratches of Something Extra and Chart Topper in the Connaught Cup, River Seven wound up battling on the lead early with Excaper. Excaper took the advantage at the top of the stretch, and River Seven battled back along the rail under Jesse Campbell, but couldn’t hold off Lockout and Phil’s Dream in the end.

Trainer Nick Gonzalez said being on the lead was not the plan in the Connaught Cup, but he was pleased with how River Seven responded in the stretch.

“The whole complexion of the race changed with the scratches that day,” he said. “You never want a pressured pace, especially when there’s a nice horse like [Excaper] along side of you. I was very proud of [River Seven] because Excaper took a half-length on him halfway down the stretch and he came back on. He just wasn’t quite good enough when he needed to be, but it was a good start.”

Gonzalez said he had no plans to breeze River Seven heading into the King Edward Stakes, and will instead just gallop the 5-year-old son of Johannesburg ahead of the race.

“He’s fit and good off of that last race,” Gonzalez said.

Looking ahead, Gonzalez said he envisioned a six-race campaign similar to the 2014 season for River Seven this year. River Seven’s ultimate target will be the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13.

“We’ve got a six-race schedule for him from the race he ran in the Connaught all of the way to the Labeeb, a race he’s won the last two years,” he said. “That’s six races, and the timing’s good. I’d like to keep him real good for the Woodbine Mile because as an Ontario-bred he’s shooting for $1.2 million, and you don’t have many chances to do that.”