Tone Broke takes talents to turf in Breeders' Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Prince of Wales Stakes winner Tone Broke will make his turf debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes over 1 1/2 miles, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Based at Churchill Downs with trainer Steve Asmussen, Tone Broke finished a creditable third in the June 29 Queen’s Plate, despite having zero synthetic-track experience heading into the 1 1/4-mile Canadian classic.

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Tone Broke shipped north of the border again July 23 for the second Triple Crown race, the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales on the main track at Fort Erie. The most accomplished dirt runner in the five-horse field, Tone Broke came wide from third to mow down Queen’s Plate protagonists One Bad Boy and Avie’s Flatter in the stretch and win by two lengths under Ricardo Santana Jr.

After the Prince of Wales, assistant trainer Darren Fleming said that Tone Broke shouldn’t have a problem with the unfamiliar distance and surface of the Breeders’.

“I think the further, the better,” Fleming said. “And he’s versatile. He’s been on the [Tapeta] one time, and he liked it. I don’t think the turf will bother him a bit. I think he’d run on broken glass.”

Woodbine’s leading jockey Rafael Hernandez will ride Tone Broke for the first time Saturday.

A field of nine Canadian-bred 3-year-olds was drawn for the 128th running of the Breeders’, which is the 10th of 12 races. The supporting feature is the $100,000 Catch a Glimpse, a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-old fillies.

KEY CONTENDERS

Tone Broke, by Broken Vow

Last 3 Beyers: 92-84-89

◗ The son of 13 percent turf sire Broken Vow is out of the stakes-placed grasser Mendocino Beano, who is the dam of multiple turf stakes winner Stallion Heiress.

Avie’s Flatter, by Flatter

Last 3 Beyers: 89-89-87

◗ The runner-up in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales, last year’s Canadian champion male 2-year-old has won two turf stakes, the restricted Cup and Saucer here and the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland. He failed to make time during a work around the main turf here last Sunday.

“By design; it was just a very easy work,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “He laid it down the last two races and didn’t need to do much. I wanted to remind him about this turf course – get him across it.”

He’s a Macho Man, by Mucho Macho Man

Last 3 Beyers: 80-80-80

◗ He finished a distant fourth in both the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales. From the family of Eclipse Award-winning turf champion Chief Bearhart, he breezed five-eighths in 1:00 over the main turf last Sunday, much to his trainer Carroll’s satisfaction.

“He just skipped over it,” Carroll said.

Encierro, by Pioneerof the Nile

Last 3 Beyers: 77-80-62

◗ A visually-impressive winner of his turf debut in a restricted maiden special June 8, he subsequently finished fourth as the favorite in the open Toronto Cup Stakes over about nine furlongs on the main turf.

“The first time he was on it, he really loved the turf,” said trainer Catherine Day Phillips, who has won the Breeders’ twice. “He was a little flat in his second turf start, but I don’t know if the heat got to him. Hopefully, he’ll be a little sharper. He should be a fairly fresh horse, and that’s good going into a big race.”

Rising Star, by Ghostzapper

Last 3 Beyers: 68-68-68

◗ The lone supplement in the lineup, he won his first grass start fairly easily in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special July 27. He was previously ninth in the Plate and a troubled third in the Plate Trial Stakes.

Catch a Glimpse Stakes

Fast Scene will put her unbeaten record on the line in her first grass outing in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes.

Based at Presque Isle Downs, she has made both of her starts at Woodbine, including a four-length win in the five-furlong My Dear Stakes. Trainer Tim Hamm worked her a half-mile in 48 seconds over the turf training course on Aug. 4 at Saratoga.

She faces Fair Maiden, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 when graduating second time out in a five-furlong maiden special over Arlington’s Polytrack. Eoin Harty trains the Godolphin homebred.