Samuel Dechamplain back in good form for Toronto Cup
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Samuel Dechamplain has seen a dramatic reversal of form since getting back on the Woodbine turf course and will look to keep it going in Sunday’s $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles.
Samuel Dechamplain showed an affinity for the Woodbine turf last season with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, but he appeared to go off form in two efforts on grass at Gulfstream Park over the winter and a subsequent Polytrack start here May 31.
“When I took him to Florida, the idea was we would try him down there in an allowance race on the turf,” trainer Mike Doyle said. “For some reason, he hated it. It was too hard, or he didn’t like that turf course, I really don’t know what. When he came home, I ran him once on the Polytrack because I was just looking to try to do anything to get him to turn it around a little bit.”
Samuel Dechamplain eventually woke up two starts back when getting back on turf against $40,000 claimers. He ran second to My Name Is Michael before defeating Flashaway in the Charlie Barley Stakes last time out.
“He’s a funny horse,” Doyle said. “I don’t think he likes being in among horses, and it seems like when he’s up real close, he just keeps on plugging away. [In the Charlie Barley] he looked like he was beat by [Flashaway], but as soon as [jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson] swung him out, he found new life. I can’t explain it other than it happened.”
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KEY CONTENDERS
Samuel Dechamplain (Last 3 Beyers: 83-73-49)
◗ Doyle said Samuel Dechamplain has been training well since the Charlie Barley.
“He worked the other day, and he didn’t work all that fast, but that’s him,” he said. “He’s just not a good work horse. He’s doing great, and I think he’ll run well if everything goes good.”
Flashaway (Last 3 Beyers: 82-81-80)
◗ He’s been close in his first two starts of the year on this turf course, including when a second to Samuel Dechamplain in the Charlie Barley last out.
Conquest Pacemaker (Beyers: 76-61)
◗ One of two horses in the field trained by Mark Casse, Conquest Pacemaker will be stepping up to face stakes company off his maiden win July 11, when he finished under a hand ride.
Indebted (Last 3 Beyers: 81-80-77)
◗ He recorded a victory at this distance in an allowance race on the inner turf at Belmont Park on July 11 and ships in for trainer Christophe Clement.