Sid Attard and Runaway Again at their best for the Seagram Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Sid Attard has been on the roll of his life at Woodbine this year, winning at a 32 percent clip at the meet from 60 starters heading into this week.

“We’ve got horses with conditions and the [condition] book is helping us,” Attard said. “The races are there.”

Attard sends out 2025 Prince of Wales Stakes winner Runaway Again in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Seagram Cup. The Stronach Stable runner had an unproductive winter stint south of the border with trainer David Jacobson before returning to Attard this spring.

After ending up third in the Grade 2 Eclipse May 30, Runaway Again got a career-high 96 Beyer Speed Figure on June 27 for his neck win in the Grade 3 Dominion Day over Paramount Prince. Ryan Munger was aboard and rides again Saturday.

Attard said he believes Runaway Again, a gelded son of Hard Spun, is better than ever right now.

:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports

“I really think so,” Attard explained. “He’s relaxing better in a race. We learned something about him. You can’t choke him. If you choke him, he just quits.”

Attard said Runaway Again’s success can be attributed in part to extensive ponying and gate schooling.

“We send him out with the pony all the time,” Attard said. “He loves the pony. He was very funny in the gate when he came back. He was okay last year because we schooled him so many times.”

Paramount Prince is one of two King’s Plate winners in the 1 1/16-mile Seagram, along with Mansetti. Now 6, Paramount Prince used his speed while benefiting from an inside bias to win his May 2 season opener with a career-high 99 Beyer.

Three weeks later, Paramount Prince got fried in a pace duel when fourth in another seven-furlong conditioned allowance. He set soft fractions on a live rail in the Dominion Day before giving way late to Runaway Again, who saved ground in third before making his move.

“He loves what he does,” trainer Mark Casse said. “As we know, he has one style of running. He goes out there and puts everything into it. Every now and then, somebody will go and run with him and that ends up to their demise, and sometimes it is his demise as well.”

Fraser Aebly retains the mount on Paramount Prince, a two-time Canadian champion with nearly $1.4 million in Canadian earnings.

Mansetti won last year’s Plate in front-running style and went on to finish second in both the Prince of Wales and Grade 3 Ontario Derby. He ran hot and cold in his two races this year, both in May, against conditioned allowance/optional-claiming company.

Mansetti has worked encouragingly during his freshening and might be poised to get back on the beam. Pietro Moran will ride him again for trainer Kevin Attard.

Notorious Gangster came up empty as the favorite in the Dominion Day after winning his season opener impressively in a seven-furlong conditioned allowance.

Rounding out the field are Rapid Test, Sedburys Ghost, Twin City, and the supplements Lucky Guest and War Court.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.