Sports

From start to the finish, Town Cruise leads the way at the Woodbine Mile

news7h 09/19/2021

2 6 minutes read

From start to the finish, Town Cruise leads the way at the Woodbine Mile

Creator of the article:

Richard Mauntah

Publishing date:

Sep 18, 2021 • 16 minutes in the past • 4 minute learn • Be part of the dialog

Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto guides City Cruise to victory within the $1,000,000 greenback Ricoh Woodbine Mile.City Cruise is owned and skilled by Brandon Greer. Picture by Michael Burns /Woodbine

City Cruise did what everybody anticipated him to at the beginning of the $1-million Woodbine Mile. He went to the lead. What wasn’t completely anticipated is that he would nonetheless be there on the finish.

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

However 9 different horses, all with a complete lot extra stakes expertise than this six-year-old gelding, had been unable to get inside 2 ½ lengths of him and as soon as he crossed the road, a neighborhood small-stable operation had been capable of stay the dream of profitable one of many observe’s signature races.

Brandon Greer bred the son of City Prize together with his father Terry. He additionally owns, trains, and even does a lot of the day-to-day caring of the horse. And with no stakes begins earlier than his final outing within the King Edward Stakes, the prospect of a Woodbine Mile begin was an extended shot for a horse that had an abbreviated marketing campaign final 12 months.

“We had been simply hoping to get a full 12 months out of him,” Greer mentioned.

And steering him to the win was Daisuke Fukumoto, the Japanese native who received this race in the identical trend he rode Mighty Coronary heart to win the Queen’s Plate final 12 months, giving him two of the observe’s signature races in simply his fifth season on this jockey colony.

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

“That is incredible for me, I’m nonetheless in awe,” Fukumoto mentioned. “Profitable a grade one is my dream.”

We apologize, however this video has didn’t load.

“I had fairly good confidence. I simply knew for a shot I needed to take the entrance. I took the lead and he completed nicely.”

The important thing to the win was the early tempo. Fukumoto had little stress as he introduced the sector via a gap quarter of simply 24 seconds and a half-mile in 47 seconds. Across the flip solely Duke of Hazzard was inside 5 lengths of him to the quarter-pole. The rest took their lane within the stretch for his or her shot however by no means threatened the winner, who collected $720,000 together with Ontario-bred bonuses. English-based Area Traveller ended second whereas American runner Raging Bull obtained up for third.

City Cruise received 5 instances in his first 13 begins, all at Woodbine. He toiled primarily in allowance firm however had a very good run within the King Edward, the place he led the sector earlier than being handed late by Olympic Runner. His development was sufficient to persuade Greer to attempt the Mile.

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

“The races this 12 months, he’s been incredible,” Greer mentioned. “He’s been operating good fractions at first and ending up actually sturdy.”

“It was sufficient to at the least warrant giving him his shot right here.”

The win additionally provides City Cruise a assured spot within the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 6. He’s nevertheless not eligible for the Breeders’ Cup and must be supplemented. That doesn’t matter to Terry Greer who instantly dominated out the journey to San Diego. There are a number of choices remaining for him at Woodbine earlier than the turf season ends in early November.

“We’re not going,” he mentioned. “It’s completely different down there. He’d need to get used to it.”

DOMINATING WIN

Walton Avenue lastly has the Grade 1 win that had eluded him in his profession. And he did in type.

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

The seven-year-old outclassed seven rivals to win the $600,000 Canadian Worldwide after a superbly judged journey by Frankie Dettori. Primo Contact took a transparent lead for over a mile of the 1½-mile race however Walton Avenue took a cushty place in second. Dettori rolled by the chief on the high of the stretch and drew away to win by 5-¾ lengths because the 4-5 favorite. Two-time defending champion Desert Encounter, who was ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson after unique rider Danny Tudhope couldn’t make the journey, closed to be second. Primo Contact ended third.

“It labored out completely,” Alex Merriman, assistant to coach Charlie Appleby mentioned. “I believed he would go ahead and slot in.”

“Frankie had his sport plan. Delivering I knew he was going to kick on.”

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

Bred in England, Walton Avenue competed primarily in lower-level stakes for a lot of his profession. He discovered his footing over the winter in Dubai, profitable a gaggle two stake earlier than ending an in depth fourth within the $5-million Dubai Sheema Basic. After a break, he completed third in a gaggle one in Berlin final month.

“He had some nice type in Dubai and ran nicely in Germany final time,” Merriman mentioned. “We’re delighted he has received a grade one.

“He’s been with us a very long time. He’s a barn favorite. He’s a stunning horse.”

The Godolphin-owned horse will return to England as Appleby ponders his subsequent begin.

MUCH THE BEST

It appeared jockey Joel Rosario didn’t must do a lot to get La Dragontea to win the $250,000 Canadian Stakes.

The four-year-old filly seemed totally snug whereas monitoring the early tempo set by Our Secret Agent early within the 1 1/8-mile race. Within the stretch, he was given solely the required quantity of urging by Rosario to win by a size over a late-closing Court docket Return because the 6-5 favorite within the five-horse discipline.

This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues beneath.

“I used to be simply laying shut, actually relaxed, very nice,” Rosario mentioned. “I used to be simply in search of the fitting time to maneuver.”

After profitable simply as soon as in seven begins in England, La Dragontea has improved in New York below coach Christophe Clement. He received his North American debut at Belmont in Could and got here into the Canadian off a win at Saratoga.

We apologize, however this video has didn’t load.