Woodbine: Slow fractions help Something Extra steal Connaught Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The longshot Something Extra outran the other speed and kept on going to take the $154,200 Connaught Cup Stakes convincingly at Woodbine on Sunday.

The Grade 2 Connaught was the second of three winners on the card for Eurico Da Silva, who guided Something Extra through slow fractions of 23 and :45.59 seconds in the seven-furlong turf sprint. They prevailed by 2 1/2 lengths over a wide-closing Big Band Sound. Artic Fern finished third, and the favored American shipper Mutual Trust was seventh in the 11-horse field.

“He ran very hard,” said Da Silva. “He broke from the gate. He’s hard on himself. I kept talking to him, saying, relax, relax. Then, he put his ears up, had a breather, and then he ran very fast home. He ran a great race.”

Something Extra ($29.90) covered the distance in 1:20.69, and earned $90,000 for the partnership of trainer Gail Cox and John Menary.