Six stakes on rich Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s Wednesday night card is filled with stakes action as the track will hold Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day on a Wednesday for the third consecutive year. The eight-race card offers total purses of $1 million and features six stakes worth $900,000 that are open to graduates of the local yearling sale.
Pender Harbour, a 2009 sale graduate, will be looking to inch closer to the $2 million mark in career earnings as the standout in the $125,000 Elgin Stakes, for colts and geldings ages 3 and up over 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack.
Elgin Stakes (Race 3)
Key Contenders
Pender Harbour (Last 3 Beyers: 97-97-95)
◗ He’ll be trying to win the Elgin for the third time and has an impressive record of six wins in eight starts against restricted stakes company at 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack. He’s earned $1.81 million.
Asserting Bear (Last 3 Beyers: 95-95-94)
◗ He’s come close to beating Pender Harbour the last two times they have run against each other in the Steady Growth and Seagram Cup stakes. He’s one of three horses in the field cross-entered in the Halton Stakes on turf.
Melmich (Last 3 Beyers: 96-92-91)
◗ He comes into his stakes debut in fine form, having won three of four starts this year, including his last two by a combined 11 1/2 lengths.
Muskoka Stakes (Race 4)
This $200,000 race covers 6 1/2 furlongs and is for 2-year-old fillies.
Key Contenders
Crumlin Spirit (Last 2 Beyers: 73-52)
◗ She was beaten a head by Caren last time out in the Shady Well Stakes on July 12 after a strong stretch run. Caren went on to win the Nandi Stakes in her next start.
Shake Down Baby (Last 3 Beyers: 71-61-44)
◗ She was second-best after Caren got away with slow splits in the Nandi on Aug. 3. She was 3 1/4 lengths in front of the third-place finisher, who also shows up in this spot.
Conquest Dynasty (Last Beyer: 56)
◗ She briefly held the lead in the stretch in her career debut against open company Aug. 15 for trainer Mark Casse, who has strong numbers with maidens in their second career starts.
Simcoe Stakes (Race 7)
This $200,000 race covers 6 1/2 furlongs and is for 2-year-old males.
Key Contenders
Conquest Twister (Last Beyer: 77)
◗ He debuted in style Aug. 9 with a 3 3/4-length victory against open company in a five-furlong sprint.
Neil’s Diamond (Last 2 Beyers: 56-67)
◗ He ran a close third to stakes winners Beliveau and Ruth Less Blue first time out in the Clarendon. He had to wait too long for running room in his subsequent start but should be a threat in this event.
Ultraflame (Last 2 Beyers: 66-61)
◗ He was fifth in the Clarendon in his debut but romped against Ontario-sired maidens in his most recent race Aug. 2.
Also on the card:
◗ Hampstead Heath will be looking to win the $125,000 Halton Stakes for the second consecutive year when this one-mile turf race kicks off the stakes action in race 2. Hampstead Heath returned from an extended layoff with a sixth-place finish in the prep for the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes on July 31 and could improve with class relief in this spot. The race is for horses ages 3 and up.
Spin the King and Asserting Bear are other key contenders, and both like to run on the lead. Spin the King will be trying to carry his speed over a mile, while Asserting Bear would be returning to turf for the first time since his 2-year-old campaign if he were to run in this spot.
◗ Club One Two will be making her stakes debut in the $125,000 Algoma, for fillies and mares ages 3 and up at 1 1/16 miles. She carried a four-race winning streak into her last start against males at this distance and was just beaten a head. The third-place finisher, Reporting Star, came back to beat a quality field in the Play the King Stakes on Aug. 23.
Other key contenders include Skylander Girl and Galina Point. Skylander Girl nearly stole the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes at this distance two starts back, while Galina Point will be facing older fillies and mares for the first time but returns to a distance at which she has a win and three seconds in four starts against restricted stakes company.
◗ Bear No Joke has a win and two seconds in three starts in the $125,000 Kenora Stakes and has been given plenty of time to prepare for this six-furlong sprint after running a close fourth behind champion sprinters Calgary Cat and Phil’s Dream in the Achievement Stakes on July 4. Calgary Cat subsequently won the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes, while Phil’s Dream romped in the Shepperton Stakes over Spadina Road and Marten Lake, who are both entered in the Kenora.