Woodbine: E.P. Taylor winner Tannery may return in Long Island at Aqueduct

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tannery, who won the $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday, could swing back in Aqueduct’s Nov. 9 Long Island, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for fillies and mares that offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $150,000.

“We might squeeze the lemon a little bit, then put her away for the season,” said trainer Alan Goldberg, speaking from his Colts Neck Farm headquarters in New Jersey.

Tannery became a Grade 1 winner in the E.P. Taylor Stakes, prevailing by a head over Fitful Skies in the 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares. Joel Rosario rode Tannery in the E.P. Taylor, which was run over a yielding course.

“She ran kind of the way we were hoping she’d run,” Goldberg said. “Sometimes those races are kind of funny when the turf is that soft.”

The 4-year-old Fitful Skies, invading from France for trainer Henri Alex-Pantall, will be heading home Thursday and may see action in one of the Hong Kong International Day races at Sha Tin on Dec. 8.

It was the second consecutive year that Alex-Pantall had fielded the E.P. Taylor runner-up, with Pagera his contestant last year.

Moment in Time, who is based in England, finished third, and German raider Samba Brazil ran fifth to complete a strong showing for the Europeans.

Traveling head lad Ian Russell said that Moment in Time is scheduled to be on the auction block in England this December. Samba Brazil will be retired to her owner’s broodmare band.

Minakshi and Colonial Flag, the fourth- and ninth-place finishers for trainer Michael Matz, were headed back to their Fair Hill, Md., base on Monday.

Matz said that Colonial Flag didn’t like the soft turf, according to jockey Julien Leparoux.

Both the 4-year-old Colonial Flag and the 5-year-old Minakshi are due for some time off, Matz said.

“Colonial Flag will run again next year,” Matz said. “Minakshi will be turned out for 60 days, then we’ll see where we’re at. It’s still a question mark whether she’ll run next year or get bred.”

No Explaining and Moment of Majesty, the sixth- and eighth-place finishers for trainer Roger Attfield, are both scheduled to join the broodmare ranks.

The 6-year-old No Explaining is entered in the upcoming Keeneland sale.

Nancy O, the other locally based runner in the E.P. Taylor, was outdistanced but reportedly none the worse for wear, according to her trainer, Carolyn Costigan.