War Bomber ($41.30) explodes for Toronto Cup triumph
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - War Bomber, a 19-1 bomb ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, beat a good field of 3-year-olds rather easily in Sunday’s $134,800 Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine.
War Bomber tracked the dueling leaders Azzurro and Barnegat Light in fourth along the inside through the turn in the one-mile turf event.
War Bomber ($41.30) split rivals nearing the eighth pole, and then cruised by favored Gretzky the Great en route to a two-length score, in a time of 1:34.14 over the firm ground.
Artie’s Storm rallied along the rail for second after lacking room exiting the turn. A wide-closing Riptide Rock edged out Gretzky the Great for third in the nine-horse field.
“I had a beautiful trip,” Bridgmohan said. “There was a little bit of speed in there, and I opted to follow. I tried to find him clear daylight, and once I did and I pointed him to a hole, he just went. He’s a pretty talented horse, and when he took off, he really took off.”
War Bomber, a gelded son of elite sire War Front, earned $75,000 in his first start of a $25,000 claim by owner Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Norm McKnight.
Skygaze takes Belle Mahone
Skygaze ($5.50) gave jockey Patrick Husbands a meet-leading ninth stakes victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Belle Mahone for fillies and mares.
Skygaze won the 1 1/16-mile route by three lengths over her Mark Casse-trained stablemate Crystal Glacier in a time of 1:42.72. No Mo Lady outlasted Art of Almost for third in the six-horse field.
A daughter of American Pharoah, Skygaze collected $60,000 in her first stakes win for owner Tracy Farmer.