Wicked Django ($50.40), with blinkers, surges to Autumn Stakes victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wicked Django, with blinkers on, made quite a splash in his first start for trainer Rodney Barrow on Saturday at Woodbine, taking the Grade 2 Autumn at 24-1 under Keveh Nicholls.

Last year’s King’s Plate winner, Paramount Prince, was pressed through fast fractions in the 1 1/8-mile event, while Wicked Django bided his time about 10 lengths off the early lead.

Wicked Django commenced a four-wide rally heading into the far turn and hit the front at the head of the stretch before holding off favored Dresden Row to score by 1 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:48.45.

Stanley House finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. He was followed by Forever Souper, Bail Us Out, Never Surprised, Tosen Wish and Paramount Prince.

“He broke a tad slow and I just let him relax back there,” Nicholls said. “I saw that Paramount Prince and the others were (up front), and I just tried to make one steady run at them. We came to the conclusion (to try) blinkers (because he) was coming to horses and was kind of stalling. With the blinkers, I worked him in the morning and he really enjoyed it.”

Wicked Django earned $126,000 of the $199,850 purse in his first stakes victory for owner Ryan Brewster. The Ontario-bred son of Wicked Strong returned $50.40 to win.

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