Owner’s Stakes
The highlight race for this Saturday in Ontario will be the Owner’s Stakes (G1) to be held at a mile and a half on the turf. The race, open to three-year-olds only is set to go off over a firm track and will be hosting a prize of $750,000 in winnings. This year’s running of the race has drawn a total of eleven entrants into the field, including three million-dollar earning runners. Let’s take a look at the field.
- Entitled Gage – nhmt – P. Wright – 8/1
Drawing the inside rail, we have the first gelding to go to the post in this race. Making his tenth career start this weekend, the gelding will be making his second graded start. The most recent start for the bay gelding was an allowance race over ten furlongs in his native Maryland. The gelding sat just off the pace in third off other horses, but took control of the pace midway through the race and went on to win by three and a half lengths with a speed figure of ninety-seven. His only graded start came in the start before, during the Bluegrass Turf (G1) at a mile and one-eighth where he crossed the wire ninth.
2. Parrish Sea (IRE) – winterset – D. Evans – 10/1
With seven career starts, this light grey Irish bred will be taking a step up in class to Grade I company for the first time in his career. The colt is out of the Hall of Fame broodmare Parrish Hill, who has produced two runners to date. The most recent start for the colt was in England during The Seventh King Eddie Stakes (G2) over the same distance he will be running this weekend. Stalking the early pace in third, the colt took the lead midway through the race and went on to win by an impressive four and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred two, which was a lifetime best for the colt.
3. Leland – eminc – R. Harzheim – 11/1
Making his first start against any form of stakes company this Saturday, this chestnut colt is royally bred and has made seven lifetime starts, winning three times. The most recent start for the colt came in an allowance race over twelve furlongs here in Ontario. The colt was held off the pace towards the middle of the field at the break and started to make his move midway through the race. By the time the field reached the stretch, the colt had gained the lead and went on to win by five and a quarter lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Prior to this the colt won two other races consecutively, including an allowance race at ten and a half furlongs and a maiden special weight.
4. Colt Saunders – champions12 – C. Shoemaker – 8/1
In the fourth gate, this colt by Gun Runner will be making his eleventh career start this weekend. The most recent start for the brown colt came in South Africa during the World Weekly News 2000 over a mile and one quarter. The colt was held well off the pace in tenth out of the gate and started to make his move on the rest of the field at the halfway point of the race. The colt would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred and two. The most recent win for the colt came in his prior start, this in France in The Goodyear Stakes (G3), where the colt was again sent off the pace early on, though started picking off other runners quickly. He would win the race by a neck at the wire.
5. America Lives N DC (CAN) – bluebloods – N. Lawton – 14/1
Next in our field we have the local Canadian-bred who will be sent out of the fifth gate. A longer shot on the board for Saturday, the bay colt most recently started in The French Grand Prix (G1) at a mile and a half. The colt was held well off the pace at the break, sent out of the gate in tenth. He would fade as the race went on, crossing the wire in twelfth with a speed figure of ninety-four. The most recent win for the colt was this past April during a starter allowance race over nine furlongs on the dirt, which he won by a head after bringing up the rear out of the gate.
6. Barbecue Shape (GB) – laq – GD Mate – 18/1
The longshot of Saturday’s field, this bay colt will be making his third graded start in eleven career starts to date. The most recent start for the colt was in The Queen’s Flower Pot (G3) over two miles. The colt was held just off the pace early out of the gate in second, but he would fade as the field entered the stretch and would cross the wire fourth, setting a speed figure of ninety-five. The most recent win for the colt was in September of his two-year-old season where he won an eight-and-a-half-furlong allowance race over the dirt.
7. Snitz Territories (GB) – cocobella11 – O. Stinson – 9/1
Next up will be the second gelding to enter the starting gate on Saturday. He most recently started here in Ontario during The Queen’s Dish (G1) at a mile and one-quarter. The bay colt was sent out of the gate in third, stalking a couple of front runners. In the stretch he would move up a position to cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. His most recent win was his start prior to this, which was in The Dee Stakes (G2) over the same distance and held in England. Running in a similar style, stalking the front-runners early on and then going to win by two and a half lengths. He would record a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred nine for this race.
8. Velmont (IRE) – bezza1975 – M. Day – 9/1
Though placed in his only two graded starts, the bay colt by Camelot is still looking for his first graded win. The most recent start for the colt was in South Africa during the World Weekly News 2000 (G1) over a mile and a quarter. The colt was sent out of the starting gate to settle into the middle of the field early on, but was quickly picking off other runners in his bid for the front. He would come up short to finish in second at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred four, which equaled a lifetime best for the colt. He would also finish second in the Derby de Belgian (G3) at a mile and three-sixteenths. His most recent win was also where he first recorded his 104 lifetime best speed figure, which was in a listed stakes in Italy at nine and a half furlongs.
9. Nolag (IRE) – buist1 – D. Zordich – 3/1
Early race favorite and first of the three million-dollar earners to enter into the gates on Saturday will be this brown colt by top sire No Nay Never, and out of a broodmare, Jetlagged, who only managed to win at the claiming level. This colt is the only graded stakes winner she has produced to date. The most recent start for the colt was in France during The Jean Brat (G1) over a mile. Towards the rear of the field at the start, as is his preferred running style, the colt was urged to start making his move midway through the race. He would make up some ground on the other runners, but only enough to cross the wire in fifth, though setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred ten. His most recent win was in his prior start during The French 2000 Guineas (G1), also at a mile. The colt will be taking a big step up in distance for this race, never having started past eight and a half furlongs, where he had finished third in a listed stakes in February of this year.
10. Cthulhu Reigns – borodino – M. Zeus – 10/1
Despite bringing home over a million in lifetime earnings, this colt has yet to win a graded stakes. The three-year-old son of Triple Crown winning sire American Pharoah will be making just his seventh lifetime start this weekend. The most recent start for the bay colt was in England during the Derby de English (G1) at a mile and a half. The colt was held a little off the pace early on the race, setting off in fourth out of the gate. Midway through the race he would make his move and go on to cross the wire second, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight, which is a lifetime best for the colt, as well as his first triple digit speed figure. He would also finish second on a yielding course during The Vase Of Chester (G3) at a mile and five-eighths. The most recent win for the colt was in Kentucky late in his two-year-old season where he won by a head bob at the wire in an eight and a half furlong allowance race.
11. Shady Sticks (IRE) – guch23 – D. Fendlay Jr. – 6/1
The final horse to load up into the starting gate for Saturday’s race is our third and final million-dollar earning entrant as well as the last of three geldings to go to the gate. He will be making his tenth lifetime start in this race. The most recent start for the chestnut gelding was in the Derby de English (G1) at a mile and a half. The gelding was positioned well off the pace, twelfth out of the gate in the classic race. He wouldn’t make his move until midway through the race where he had moved up into the middle of the pack. Down the stretch the gelding angled out to the take the lead, winning decidedly by three and a quarter lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred eleven. His only other graded start was in the Sydney Derby (G1) over the same distance where he would finish second.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Shady Sticks (IRE)
Place: Snitz Territories (GB)
Show: Parrish Sea (IRE)