Trip Notes for October 14-15: Canadian International, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and more

Oct. 14

Belmont
Futurity (race 8)

COMMENT: Happy Like a Fool, a filly, scratched to instead race against her own sex in Sunday’s Grade 3 Matron. Engage, a $550,000 son of Into Mischief, stamped himself as one to watch as he dominated here. Sent out by Chad Brown, Engage bided his time early to be last in the small field but wasn’t far off the lead, remained wide and in the clear, advanced smartly on the far turn while moving inward to be between horses, continued to stalk under his own power, was asked for some run coming into the lane, found a lane between horses, eagerly moved through, powering past his rivals and quickly clear. The Grade 2 Nashua at a mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 5 could be next, though Brown wasn’t sure if that might be coming back too quickly. He noted that the horse’s style and build may limit how far he wants to go, but Brown has done great this year with a similar son of Into Mischief (Practical Joke). Barry Lee, eighth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 13 but then a game winner of the Arlington-Washington Futurity on Polytrack on Sept. 9, added blinkers, and the $380,000 son of Violence sat back with the eventual winner as Red Peril set a solid pace, crept closer going to the far turn, had to wait for room turning for home, found a seam between Red Peril and Mojovation coming into the lane, hesitated a bit but came through, put in a solid run, was no match for the winner, but continued on well to be a clear second. Mojovation, a $330,000 son of Quality Road who won his debut at Saratoga on July 29 and was then seventh in the Grade 1 Hopeful there Sept. 4, stumbled at the start, still had the speed to dog pacesetter Red Peril, was still in the mix turning for home but was no match for the top two in the lane.

Keeneland
Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (race 9)

COMMENT: When the year started, it looked as though La Coronel might be the best 3-year-old turf filly. Then came a trip to England for a brutal Group 1 (the top three are all now Group 1 winners from the Aidan O’Brien barn), and when she came back, she couldn’t handle Proctor’s Ledge and Uni in the Grade 2 Lake Placid at Saratoga on Aug. 19 and was then second, albeit in a better performance, to Uni in the Grade 2 Sands Point at Belmont on Sept. 16. Well, she got her first Grade 1 win here, looking every bit like the filly many thought she would be last year and early this year. It was her speed that proved lethal as she bounced right out to the lead, took some pressure from favorite New Money Honey while setting modest splits, was still clear going to the far turn, and stayed on gamely to the line, continuing to keep her rivals at arm’s length. She likely has no Breeders’ Cup designs but may instead be put away and targeted for 2018. Daddys Lil Darling, who had a disastrous trip to England this spring when a severe storm caused her to freak and run off, before returning to the U.S. to easily win a turf stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10, showed that turf may be her forte after all as she stalked the pace, raced with New Money Honey while saving ground, doggedly kept after the winner as she came off the inside, closed the gap to give La Coronel a scare but just couldn’t get to her. This was her fourth second-place finish in a Grade 1 (Alcibiades, Ashland, Kentucky Oaks). Madam Dancealot, the best of the West Coast crew, coming off a win in Del Mar’s Grade 2 San Clemente and a sharp second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, sat well back, as is her custom, and came with a strong run to get up for third. Considering the race shape and pace, that was a big effort. Uni, like New Money Honey a top-class runner from the Chad Brown barn, was forced inward at the start, bided her time early as she moved to the outside for clear sailing, advanced going down the backstretch, loomed a threat on the turn when moving up wide outside Daddys Lil Darling and New Money Honey but didn’t have the necessary punch. New Money Honey, the winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and this summer’s Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, moved back to turf after running fifth to top-class Elate in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama, broke alertly to be second behind La Coronel, moved closer to pressure that foe down the backstretch with Daddys Lil Darling to her inside, took up the chase turning for home but came up empty when it mattered. Dream Dancing, a stablemate of the winner and the winner in the Del Mar Oaks, lagged back while saving ground and swung wide on the far turn as if ready to make a run, but the run never came. Proctor’s Ledge, a winner of two graded stakes at Saratoga this summer, stalked in fourth while saving ground, was boxed in on the far turn, found a lane and came through as if ready to make a run but then came up empty. Con Te Partito, a sharp, rallying fourth in the Del Mar Oaks after winning a stakes in England on June 21, was well back from the start while wide and never got involved. Top Euro raider Wuheida scratched with a minor ailment, her connections saying she could point for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Save for that, they’re likely are no ramifications for the Breeders’ Cup from this.

Oct. 15

Belmont
Matron (race 3)

COMMENT: Happy Like a Fool was entered to take on the boys in Saturday’s Grade 3 Futurity. She scratched from that to go here against fillies, and the move paid off as she proved an easy winner. With blinkers off and returning to dirt after a couple Group 2 outings in England, the daughter of Distorted Humor got bumped at the start, stalked in third while wide as Valuable Package was a clear early leader, moved closer to that foe under her own power going to the far turn, quickly charged up to assume command, did lug in a couple of lanes, causing Take Charge Paula to steady a bit, but broke the race open into the lane, and while runner-up Take Charge Paula got going again and closed the gap in the final furlong, the issue had already been put to bed. She did have to withstand a claim of foul from the rider of Take Charge Paula for that incident coming into the lane. Trainer Wesley Ward said he thinks she’s better on dirt, that she’s got the build and pedigree of a sprinter, and he’s looking forward to 2018 with her. Take Charge Paula broke sharply to be first out, tucked inside as Valuable Package assumed pacesetting duties, stalked while continuing to save ground, swung out into the lane, gamely went after the winner, and while she ran on well and closed the gap, she was never really a danger. Valuable Package broke awkwardly and bumped Happy Like a Fool, got back in stride, quickly assumed command, tried to battle back when confronted on the far turn but was no match for the top two.

Woodbine
E.P. Taylor (race 9)

COMMENT: Showers throughout the day left the turf course listed soft, and Euro raider Blond Me found such ground to her liking. Good enough to be second to top-class Winter in an English Group 1 on Aug. 3 before she took a bad step and ran 11th in a French Group 1 on Sept. 10, she bounced back to form as she bided her time toward the back with fellow Euro raider Rain Goddess, steadily advanced while staying behind horses on the far turn, came through between rivals, and finished smartly to wear down Kitten’s Roar. Kitten’s Roar, a sharp winner of a stakes at Kentucky Downs on yielding turf last time out, also relished the footing as she stalked the pace, made the first move at pacesetter Rainha Da Bateria turning for home, got the better of that rival, took the lead but couldn’t fend off the winner. Fourstar Crook, a winner of nine of her last 10 but stepping well up in class, stalked the pace, came with a nice run in the lane, and while unable to threaten the top two, stayed on well for third, finishing well ahead of stablemate Rainha Da Bateria in fourth. Rainha Da Bateria, a good rallying fourth in the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington on Aug. 12 and fifth in this last year, inexplicably ended up on the lead, set very slow fractions under some pressure from Kitten’s Roar and Quidura, tried to battle back when hooked into the lane but relented as she couldn’t keep pace with the top three. Nezwaah, like the winner a top-class European raider, seemed to be in a good spot, stalking the pace while saving ground just behind Qujidura and Kitten’s Roar, and was asked for run turning for home, but the run never came. Quidura, the winner of the Grade 2 Canadian here Sept. 16 after nearly beating Lady Eli in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga the race prior, stalked the pace, looked well positioned as well as she moved closer to the pace going to the far turn while between Rainha Da Bateria and Kitten’s Roar but came up empty when it mattered. Rain Goddess, from the ever-powerful Aidan O’Brien barn, was slow into stride, sat at the back with the eventual winner but never mustered a run as it appeared she was never comfortable on the footing. It would appear this race might not impact the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Woodbine
Canadian International (race 10)

COMMENT: Showers throughout the day left the turf course soft. But if anything, such footing proved a boon to Bullards Alley, who, despite going off at 42-1, obliterated a high-caliber field with the performance of his life. The 5-year-old gelded son of Flower Alley, coming off a fifth in the Grade 3 American St. Leger at Arlington on Aug. 12 and a sixth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 9 loved the footing as, after going 0 for 9 this year, he blasted his rivals. He stalked in fourth as Messi went out to set a slow pace, remained there to the far turn, moved up strongly to grab the lead, and extended his advantage from there to win in a romp. Oscar Nominated, the winner of the Kentucky Turf Cup over Bullards Alley last time out, sat just behind the eventual winner, tried to rally with that foe on the far turn, couldn’t keep pace with that rival’s big run but stayed on well to get second. Flamboyant, an invader from Southern California, was just behind the top two from the start while saving ground, crept closer going to the far turn, put in a decent rally, and while never on the winner’s radar, kept on well to lose second by only a half-length. Idaho, the favorite off some good work in Europe, lagged back, came under a ride on the far turn, made some headway but was never really a factor. This marks his third trip to North America and the third time he wasn’t a factor in the lane. Maybe he just prefers home cooking. Erupt, the defending champ, sat back just in front of Idaho, came with a nice run into the lane to briefly look a threat to get a minor award before flattening out in the final furlong. Johnny Bear, the game winner of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf here last month, stalked pacesetter Messi while saving ground but fell apart going down the backstretch and gave way badly to end up last, eventually being eased. As with the E.P. Taylor, there likely are no Breeders’ Cup implications from this.

Woodbine
Ontario Derby (race 7)

COMMENT: Tiz a Slam couldn’t get to Holy Helena when second to that smart filly in the Queen’s Plate here July 2 but a few months later it was a different story as the son of Tiznow exacted his revenge. He bumped with Undulated to his inside at the start, gathered himself and settled in stalking position in third as Gorgeous Kitten set a modest pace, remained there to the end of the backstretch, started to move closer while racing wide, came with a smart run to grab the lead into the lane, opened up by midstretch and extended his advantage through the final furlong to win easily. Holy Helena, the heavy favorite after running eighth in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga Aug. 19 after winning three straight including the Queen’s Plate here July 2, got pinched back at the start to be last early, remained well back once she found her stride, steadily advanced, pitched wide into the lane to launch her run, finished well but was no match for the winner. Guy Caballero, a 62-1 longshot, sat back early, established position midpack going down the back stretch, remained there to the far turn, came through between horses coming into the lane and finished well to end up just a head behind Holy Helena, though like that rival was never a danger to the big winner. Grizzel, the 5-2 second choice, sat midpack from the start while saving ground, moved closer going into the far turn to loom a threat but came up empty when it mattered.