Special Forces continues rebound with Durham Cup upset
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Special Forces posted an upset in the Grade 3 Durham Cup at Woodbine on Sunday, beating out the troubled favorite Sir Winston by a half-length in the 1 1/16-mile event for older runners.
Coming off a front-running score in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup, Tap It to Win went straight to the lead and set quick fractions, with Kentucky shipper Halo Again taking up the chase in second.
Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heat was angled off the inside heading into the backstretch in third, a position that eventually forced Sir Winston to rally inside into traffic on the far turn.
Sir Winston was in tight while closing between rivals in the stretch, and was overtaken late on the outside by Special Forces, who covered the distance in 1:42.36.
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Halo Again, Mighty Heart and Tapt It to Win completed the order of finish.
There was no change after a stewards’ inquiry regarding the stretch run.
Justin Stein rode Special Forces for the first time in competition for trainer Kevin Attard. The 6-year-old son of Candy Ride missed all of 2020 due to an injury and was second to Sir Winston in an Aug. 19 conditioned allowance off the long layoff, before ending up third in the Sept. 11 Seagram.
“I worked him a couple times,” Stein said. “He’s a lotta horse. I was just the lucky jock to get on him. Kevin and his team have done an amazing job with him - brought him back off a long layoff. He crushed today. He kicked real hard and ran true down the lane. He’s a champ.”
Special Forces ($15.60) earned $90,000 of the $155,100 purse for the partnership of Attard and Soli Mehta.