Tiller has pair for Deputy Minister

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bob Tiller will take two shots at Wednesday’s $125,000 Deputy Minister Stakes, when he runs the uncoupled duo of Race for Gold and Arepeatee in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

The ultra-consistent Race for Gold should be favored under Chantal Sutherland. He was unbeaten in two starts last year, both in six-furlong Ontario-sired events.

Race for Gold finished third and then second in his first two outings of the year, in a pair of Ontario-sired allowances for nonwinners of three. When he moved to the turf June 6 in the Bold Ruckus Stakes, he rallied wide from off slow fractions to end up second over a yielding course.

Race for Gold is coming off what is perhaps his best performance, a closing second in the Achievement Stakes behind the heavily favored front-runner, Essence Hit Man. He was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 84 in that six-furlong dash for Ontario-breds.

Race for Gold has competed exclusively at six furlongs, but Tiller is confident that the gelding will handle the stretchout to seven-eighths.

“I’m not concerned about it,” said Tiller. “I’d like to think that he’ll go a mile and a sixteenth one day.”

Arepeatee had a busy 2-year-old season, during which he banked $71,234 in eight appearances. Aside from his maiden victory, the highlight of that campaign was his third-place finish in the Bull Page Stakes.

Arepeatee broke through in his third start this year in a 5 1/2-furlong Ontario-sired allowance, scoring with a career-high Beyer Figure of 76. He went on to finish a nonthreatening third in the restricted Bold Ruckus.

Arepeatee is exiting a dull fifth-place finish as the favorite, in a six-furlong allowance for nonwinners of three.

“I was very disappointed with his last race,” said Tiller. “It’s hard to say what happened there. It’s the first time that he never really tried.”

Eurico Da Silva has the mount on Arepeatee, who is named after Tiller’s initials.

Ten Lakes, a lightly-raced son of Bold Executive trained by Paul Buttigieg, could be the pacemaker.

When he debuted on the Polytrack May 14, Ten Lakes wound up six lengths back after saving ground. He subsequently won a seven-furlong maiden special on the grass, after putting away several rivals on the lead, earning a 76 Beyer.

Joey’s Best, the 2009 Kingarvie Stakes winner, was supplemented at a cost of $2,500.