Woodbine: River Seven takes Labeeb in a runaway

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - River Seven, a 10-1 shot ridden by Jesse Campbell, made mincemeat of a quality field Saturday at Woodbine in the $115,000 Labeeb Stakes.

River Seven vied with Danger Bay through moderate fractions in the one-mile turf route. He began to draw away from a stalking Grand Arch early in the stretch, and got home on top by 10 lengths in 1:38.81 over the yielding ground.

Grand Arch finished a clear second over Hotep, and favored Hunters Bay wound up fifth after racing wide in his first outing in over a year.

River Seven earned $72,000 for Tucci Stable and trainer Nick Gonzalez. He paid $22.20 to win. It was the 3-year-old’s first win since he broke his maiden in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes here last October.

“He deserved a win,” said Campbell. “He’s a fighter. When I got onto the turf course it was softer than what I expected it to be. He broke sharp, and when I looked over, there was a horse on my outside, and I thought I was on the better horse. At that point, I didn’t want to ease him back and get stuck in a pocket in the second flight with the horses I felt were the main contenders. With the turf being soft, it’s hard to close a lot of ground. It worked out well.”