ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The imposing American shipper Tom’s Magic held off a charging Borealis Trail to land the anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,500 Breeders’ Stakes, on a sunny Sunday at Woodbine. Tom’s Magic ($3.50) gave jockey Rafael Hernandez his fourth winner in the 1 1/2-mile turf marathon, which was run around three turns on the inner turf. The supplemented filly D’aurum set a dawdling pace while being tracked by Ciunas, as Faber and Tom’s Magic both assumed a stalking position. Going down the backstretch for the second time, Hernandez advanced Tom’s Magic to vie for the lead with D’aurum before taking control entering the stretch. Borealis Trail came outside from fifth to take dead aim at the leader in the stretch, but Tom’s Magic dug in to prevail by a head, in a time of 2:31.80 over the firm ground. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Faber finished another 5 1/4 lengths back in third, just ahead of Wonder Where Stakes winner Aristella. D’aurum, Watsonville Red, Sedburys Ghost, Scat Girl, and Ciunas completed the order of finish in the 135th running of the race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Tom’s Magic was coming off a rallying second in the King’s Plate on Tapeta here Aug. 16, after which he skipped the middle Triple Crown race, the Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie. “Around the second turn, the pace was too slow,” Hernandez said. “We were just galloping. I was fighting, trying to keep him behind, and he got on the bridle really hard. I said ‘okay, go ahead.' I let him go for half-a-furlong and then started to bring him back. Turning for home, I knew he was going to give me a kick like he did in the King’s Plate.” A powerful chestnut by elite sire Justify, Tom’s Magic earned $240,000 in his third stakes triumph for the partnership of C J Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing. Mike Stidham trains the half-brother to Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon, who was bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. “We were certainly worried about the way the race was going to set up pacewise,” Stidham said. “Tom’s Magic can be a little bit keen and running against the bit. The only thing I stressed to Rafael was we’ve got to get him to turn off at some point down the backside (so) we’ll have something to finish with. It was a little bit close, but it showed his courage and ability to get it done in the end.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.