Trajectory on target in Seagram

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Guided Tour was a little-known allowance runner from Kentucky before he used a win in the 2000 Seagram Cup Stakes as a springboard toward much bigger accomplishments.

Trainer Graham Motion is hoping that Trajectory can do the same after Sunday's running of that 1 1/16-mile main track event at Woodbine.

"Hopefully, he's an up-and-coming horse," said Motion, who is based at Delaware Park. "He ran some very good races last year."

Trajectory, a son of top sire Gone West, won a minor stakes at Philadelphia Park last August before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Pennsylvania Derby. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 108 in winning his only other 2000 outing in a restricted stakes in the fall at Keeneland.

Trajectory returned from an eight-month layoff to finish second in the Shecky Greene Handicap on July 3 at Delaware. Motion said the 4-year-old was a little too eager in the gate in that day.

"He tried to out-break the gate," Motion recalled. "He slammed up against the gates quite hard. He looked like the speed of the race on paper, but he broke a step slow. He tried to play catch-up all the way after another horse got out on a very easy lead. Delaware is kind of a deep, tiring track, and first time off a layoff can be tough on a horse. He probably needed the race."

Regular rider Ramon Dominguez has the mount on Trajectory, who is owned by Pin Oak Stable.

Rounding out the field for the $133,625 event will be Exciting Story, Black Cash, Kiss a Native, and Catch the Ring.

Exciting Story, upset winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont, should be favored under Patrick Husbands.

Exciting Story was a dull fifth here in a money allowance on turf in his only start since the May 28 Met Mile. In spite of that effort, trainer Mark Casse isn't yet convinced that Exciting Story hates the grass.

"Patrick said he had no problem handling the turf," Casse said. "I think he was confused. He wasn't on the bit. He was more interested in the horses outside of him. He was shying away from them."

Kiss a Native, last year's champion 3-year-old in Canada, has been out of action since he captured the Grade 2 Pegasus at the Meadowlands Oct. 27.

"He had a very slight fracture of the cannon bone," said his trainer, David Bell. "We gave him a lot of time off. He's bigger and stronger this year, and has trained well, but you're never sure what's going to happen first-time out."