Woodbine: His Race to Win can end Sam-Son drought in Cup and Saucer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sam-Son Farm has won the $250,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes an astounding 13 times, but not since 2001. Trainer Malcolm Pierce will try to end the drought for the fabled farm Saturday at Woodbine when he runs the homebred His Race to Win in the 1 1/16-mile turf route for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds.

His Race to Win, a maiden by successful turf sire Stormy Atlantic, has started twice. He was along for third when he debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special on the grass Aug. 19, which was won by the good Indiano Jones. He had a wide trip most recently when he ran second in a mile and 70-yard maiden special on the Polytrack.

“He ran fine in his debut,” Pierce recalled. “It was kind of a learning experience. He came back with quite a good race, which came off the turf. He’s okay on the Poly, although I think he’s a little bit better on the grass.”

Pierce had two nominees for the Cup and Saucer, but he opted to wait for the Nov. 10 Coronation Futurity with the promising Up With the Birds.

“We’ve liked both colts since the beginning,” Pierce said. “They’ve been hard to separate. At first, His Race to Win worked a little better than Up With the Birds. Then, Up With the Birds worked a bit better than him. I think they’re both nice colts.”

Star Contender defeated His Race to Win, graduating second time out Sept. 23. He was previously third behind two of his stablemates, Dynamic Sky and Honorable Guest, in the restricted Simcoe Stakes, which also was run on the Polytrack.

“He’s a really nice horse,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I didn’t necessarily think his race the other day was a true indication of his ability. He got the job done.

Casse said that jockey Patrick Husbands said “he was playing around. He’s come back to train and breeze really well.”

Casse said he was hoping to run Star Contender in a turf allowance that acted as a prep for the Cup and Saucer, which was moved to the main track.

“He actually has some turf breeding,” Casse said. “He’s a big, beautiful, long-striding horse. He moves a lot like Delegation, who’s one of the prettiest-moving horses I’ve ever had.”

Delegation won the Grade 3 Durham Stakes here last Sunday.

The B’s and E’s, who is based at Keeneland with trainer Wesley Ward, should be well backed. He graduated second time out in a seven-furlong maiden special at Belmont on July 15. Two months later, he faded to fifth after dueling up front here in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, which was contested over a mile on yielding ground.