Wyatt's Town necks Hemp Hemp Hurray

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — The speedy Wyatt’s Town ($3.30) notched his second consecutive Woodbine stakes victory with determination in Sunday’s $105,200 Ontario Jockey Club.

Wyatt’s Town won his local debut comfortably in the July 28 King Corrie, beating Hemp Hemp Hurray. This time, he was pressured by that rival through honest fractions in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds.

Hemp Hemp Hurray seemed poised to wear down Wyatt’s Town in midstretch, but the latter dug in to win by a neck, in a final time of 1:09.52. Driven by History, Captain Thunder, and Run Away completed the order of finish.

Eurico Da Silva got a leg up on Wyatt’s Town from trainer Norm McKnight, who claimed him for $50,000 at Churchill in May.

“I know how fast this horse is, and I tried to relax (him) as much as I could,” Da Silva said. “He was running very relaxed. When he turned home, I thought it would be an easy game, but it was not. At the eighth pole, it was not looking good for me, but he has a big heart. It was a beautiful race.”

A son of Speightstown, Wyatt’s Town banked $60,000 for Henley Thoroughbreds Ltd. and Newtop Stables.