Starship Jubilee proves best in E.P. Taylor

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Starship Jubilee led nearly all the way when fourth in last year’s E.P. Taylor, but she got the job done using a more relaxed approach in this year’s renewal of the Grade 1 stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.

The favored English runner, Red Tea, vied with Starship Jubilee through slow fractions in the 1 1/4-mile turf event. Starship Jubilee took back a little midway on the backstretch, and then made her way to the lead entering the stretch, as Red Tea began to tire.

Starship Jubilee ($9) held a daylight lead through most of the stretch and won by a length in a time of 2:03.29 over the good ground.

Durance rallied to edge out another longshot, Platane, for second. Imperial Charm wound up fourth, and was followed by Holy Helena, Si Que Es Buena, Gaining, Red Tea, A. A. Azula’s Arch, and Secret Message.

Luis Contreras rode the Kevin Attard-trained Starship Jubilee, who was coming off a decisive front-running score in the local prep, the Grade 2 Canadian.

“Last time, she relaxed really nice, that was going a mile and an eighth,” Contreras said. “Today, [Attard] told me to take the lead if they wanted to give me the lead. She came out really well trained. She was amazing. She always gives me some kick, no matter what, at the end. I was so comfortable in the last turn when I saw nobody came close to us on the front end. I was just waiting in the stretch for her to make a run, and she just exploded.”

Canada’s champion turf female in each of the past two years, Starship Jubilee banked $360,000 of the $603,200 purse for owner Blue Heaven Farm of Kentucky.