True Metropolitan holds off Mustanfar
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - True Metropolitan turned back a stern stretch bid from New York shipper Mustanfar to capture the Grade 3, $200,400 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
True Metropolitan led throughout the 1 1/4-mile race, setting moderate fractions of 23.97 and 47.52 seconds under Todd Kabel. Palladio, the 6-5 favorite, and Mustanfar both loomed into contention on the far turn, and Mustanfar tried True Metropolitan several times before coming up a half-length short. Palladio was third in the six-horse field.
"He showed so much grit through the lane," said Kabel. "[Mustanfar] came to him a couple of times, but he just kept going and going."
True Metropolitan ($4.80) completed the distance in a track- record 2:04.20, and banked $120,000 for owner Bob Cheema and trainer Terry Jordan.
o Street Sounds, a Maryland invader trained by Michael Matz, won the $250,000 Bison City Stakes by disqualification after Sealy Hill was demoted from first to third by the stewards for interference.
Sealy Hill closed from a stalking position and hit the front at the quarter pole in the nine-furlong Polytrack race. She ducked in from left-handed whipping by Patrick Husbands at the eighth pole, and appeared to take away Quiet Jungle's path. Sealy Hill went on to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Street Sounds, who came outside for the drive after an inside stalking trip under Ramon Dominguez.
Quiet Jungle was placed second, and pacemaker Saskawea retreated in the stretch to trail the five-horse field. The final time was 1:44.01.
The Bison City is the second leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, a series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, and Street Sounds was coming off a front-running third-place finish in the opening leg, the Woodbine Oaks,
"She had a very bad ride by me in the Oaks," said Dominguez. "The fractions were way too fast. I'm still learning about this surface. Today, I took a hold of her and let her relax, more like a grass race. She finished up nicely."
Street Sounds ($7.10) banked $150,000 for Hidden Creek Farm.
o Arden Belle ($9.40) notched her first stakes in the $100,400 Sweet Briar Too, a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares.
Matt Moore guided Arden Belle to a closing 1 3/4-length win over favored Vestrey Lady. Trained by Ron Sadler, she covered the distance in 1:23.55, and earned $60,000.