Sharp form, light weight favor Set in Stone in Passero Cup

FORT ERIE, Ontario – Set in Stone, a 3 3/4-length winner going seven furlongs in a $16,000 claiming race at Woodbine last time out, will be looking to make it two in a row in Sunday’s $30,000 Andy Passero Memorial Cup at Fort Erie.

The 1 1/16-mile feature, restricted to horses who have started at least twice at Fort Erie this season, drew a field of eight.

Set in Stone, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Nick Gonzalez, most recently scored on Polytrack, but was just as effective on dirt when he raced at Fort Erie in mid-June and won by 13 lengths while earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Francine Villeneuve will be aboard Set in Stone, who gets six to eight pounds from his seven opponents as the lone 3-year-old in the field.

Kettle Rapids will try to keep Set in Stone honest on the front end. Kettle Rapids, switching from turf to dirt, is 5 for 19 lifetime in middle-distance routes.

Trainer Mickey Neubauer has given the mount to Daniel David.

Cobotown Ron, a 6-year-old gelding, comes in from a decent effort in Woodbine’s Nijinsky Stakes, where he closed to finish fourth in the Grade 2, 1 1/4-mile turf race.

In his previous dirt effort at the Fort, Cobotown Ron rallied from far back win an optional claimer going 1 1/16 miles.

Trainer Analisa Delmas has given Chris Griffith the call and if the front runners set a hot pace then Cobotown Ron could run them down.

Great Addiction is a Fort Erie regular who has been taking home minor shares this year. Trainer Armand Concessi has named Rui Pimentel to ride.

I’m Spectral gets the services of leading rider Krista Carignan.

Trained by Tino Attard, I’m Spectral won on a fast track going 1 1/16 miles three starts back at the Fort and then finished second behind Cobotown Ron in the mud.

Trainer Tino Attard now switches I’m Spectral from turf to dirt, the surface the horse prefers. Although he is just 1 for 40 combined on synthetic surfaces and turf, I’m Spectral owns a 4-for-15 record on dirt.

Carignan, Gonzalez lead standings

In the jockey standings, Carignan has 44 wins, 16 ahead of Griffith.

Griffith is two wins ahead of Real Simard and four in front of Villeneuve and Anthony Stephen.

Gonzalez is once again atop the trainer standings with 31 wins, 10 ahead of John Simms.