Yacht Boy's second-out win stacks up nicely in Victoria Stakes
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Yacht Boy put it all together second time out for trainer Norm McKnight, and the son of Old Forester could be favored in Sunday’s $125,000 Victoria Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine.
When debuting in a five-furlong maiden special on June 4, Yacht Boy got away slowly under Rafael Hernandez before rushing up to contest the lead along the rail. He folded in the final sixteenth to end up fifth behind Saratoga-bound Triple Trea and next-out winner Bucyk.
Three weeks later, Yacht Boy made mincemeat of easier Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens. Under Rico Walcott, he went straight to the front and expanded his lead through the stretch to prevail by 4 1/4 lengths, while earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure.
McKnight was at a loss to explain Yacht Boy’s disappointing opening race.
“I don’t know what happened there,” McKnight said. “The rider said he was laying in bad. He said he could run, but he just couldn’t ride him. He had worked him all the time and he never did that in a work. Maybe he was just green. We didn’t change anything [for his second race], and he went out and ran straight.”
Yacht Boy possesses a speedy pedigree. Old Forester is best known for siring five-time Canadian champion sprinter Pink Lloyd. Yacht Boy’s dam, Cawaja Beach, won four of five starts at 2, including the Shady Well, Nandi, and Victorian Queen, all sprint stakes.
Walcott retains the mount on Yacht Boy, who was a $75,000 purchase by 3 Sons Racing Stable at the 2022 Canadian premier yearling sale. McKnight said the gelding is on target for the $200,000 Simcoe Stakes for male graduates of Canadian yearling sales here Aug. 27.
“I wanted to get a race in between now and the yearling sales stakes,” McKnight said. “He’s a handsome horse. He’s not real big, but everything’s pretty correct on him. He catches your eye.”
Just four others were entered in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint – Mattingly, Going Up, Gotts Got it, and Pipit.
Pipit on Wednesday was entered in Saturday’s $125,000 My Dear Stakes for fillies but was supplemented to the Victoria by trainer Kevin Attard. She was a front-running second behind the closing longshot Crafty Oaks when favored on debut in a five-furlong maiden special June 3.
“I thought she’d win first time out,” Attard said. “I was pretty high on her. She showed some ability in the morning. It looked like she was going to win, but maybe she just got run down by a better horse, or maybe she loafed a little on the lead.
“We put a set of blinkers on her. She’s been working with them and I think it’s kept her more focused. I’m excited to see her back out.”
Going Up and Gotts Got It both graduated vs. maiden special weight company over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs for trainer Ron Potts.
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