BREEDERS 117

MARCHFIELD WINS BREEDERS'

The EUGENE MELYNK - MARK CASSE - PATRICK HUSBANDS roll continues (Sealy Hill etc.).
MARCHFIELD awoke from his slumber with a furious stretch rally and took the Breeders' Stakes today by a length over Todd Pletcher trainee TWILIGHT METEOR and jockey Chris DeCarlo. Longshot It's Like This, at 48 to 1, was third.
Plate winner MIKE FOX and Prince of Wales winner ALEZZANDRO were both unplaced in the 1 1/2 mile turf classic - the 3rd jewel of the Triple Crown.
Tales of Casse's harried morning on Sunday, plus the numerous accidents that Patrick has had in recent days, added spice to the story of a regally bred colt who had been an underachiever to this point.
The Breeders' was Marchfield's (A.P. Indy - Pico Teneriffe, by Red Ransom) first grass attempt.
Interestingly, Casse said the colt could 'go home' now, perhaps for the rest of the year, as he's had a long , tough grind since the winter.
Marchfield looked like he could have been a Kentucky Derby hopeful, he bled through Lasix at Gulfstream, and then started up again for the Plate.
After a smart 2nd place finish in the Plate Trial, the colt seemed to be a Plate factor but he had no pace to run at and was not a factor.
He also fizzled in the Prince of Wales.
But the switch to the grass made a monster out of Marchfield and threw the race for champion 3yo colt or gelding in Canada wide open.
For more on Sunday's racing - check in tomorrow morning as we get set for another day of racing on Civic Holiday Monday.


No update yet on REPEATER, who flipped yesterday. One other reader asked about apprentice rider Michelle Rainford. She is reportedly out indefinitely with a concussion.
The middle day of the long weekend and a good card here and of course at Monmouth.
This is the start of 6 consecutive days of entry draws at Woodbine.

BREEDERS' SELECTIONS:

ALEZZANDRO (his sire High Yield had another turf stakes winner yesterday - at Saratoga). Needs the right tactics, however

TWILIGHT METEOR - Disappointed in his Plate showing but he's a turf monster and his mum's sire won this race.

MIKE FOX - Has the turf breeding but the distance might be tricky

IT'S A DANZIG - Going forward and an ace on the grass.

FROM WOODBINE MEDIA

Ten Canadian-bred three-year-olds go postward in the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, third and turf jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Sunday afternoon at Woodbine.

The Score will provide a special one-hour live telecast of the 117th

edition of the race across Canada from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. ET. Post time for the race is 5:08 p.m. ET.

While there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, Queen's Plate

winner Mike Fox and Prince of Wales champion Alezzandro will square off against one another after taking the first and second jewels,

respectively, in the Canadian Triple Crown Series.

Mike Fox, who won the Queen's Plate at Woodbine to kick off the 2007

Triple Crown, finished fourth in the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie.

Trained by Ian Black for D. Morgan Firestone, Mike Fox drew post two

and will be ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, but is only the 7-2 second

choice in the Breeders' Stakes morning line.

The 3-1 favourite is Kevin Attard trainee Alezzandro. Todd Kabel will

ride the High Yield colt, who drew post eight for Knob Hill Stable and

the Estate of Steve Stavro.

Marchfield, who finished sixth and fifth, respectively in the Queen's

Plate and Prince of Wales, is the 9-2 third choice and will leave post

10 for trainer Mark Casse and owner Eugene Melnyk. Jockey Patrick

Husbands, who rode Royal Challenger to victory in last year's Breeders', gets

the call.

Ice Bear (8-1 in the morning line) will try to give Hall of Fame

trainer Mac Benson a third Breeders' title after he saddled Bridle Path to a

win in the race in 1979 and Bounding Away in 1984. David Clark gets the

call from post three.

At 6-1 in the Breeders' morning line is Twilight Meteor, the Queen's

Plate Winterbook favourite, who finished seventh in the Plate.

Completing the field are It's a Danzig (post one, 10-1 morning-line

odds), Walk With Kings (five, 12-1) It's Like This (six, 30-1), Storm the

Castle (seven, 20-1) and Top Speed (nine, 20-1).

Executrix gets her kicks in Nandi

TORONTO, August 4 - Executrix captured her first stakes win with a

half-length victory in Saturday's $125,000 Nandi Stakes at Woodbine.

Ray Sabourin, who won last year's Nandi with Midnight Shadow, guided

the daughter of Bold Executive to her second victory in five career

starts for trainer Nick Gonzalez and Tucci Stables.

The dark bay Ontario-bred was kept out of an early speed duel that

developed between the trio of Authenicat, Dancing Doris and Better Than

Bitter.

Under patient handling from Sabourin, Executrix was fourth after an

opening quarter-mile of :22.67 and a half in :46.24.

Executrix, who began to pick off the leaders around the final turn and

struck front in early stretch, had to shake off a game Dancing Doris to

her inside to secure the win, covering the six furlong distance in

1:12.31.

First-time starter Do It Anyway, another Gonzalez trainee, finished

third. The conditioner's other entrant, 5-2 favourite Executive Decision,

was sixth.

"It worked out like I Nick and I had discussed," said Sabourin, who has

been aboard Executrix in all of her five lifetime starts. "Post

position dictates a lot. It was a perfect spot (post eight of nine) where you

could just sit off the speed and kick on when she wanted to. She did

just that."

Gonzalzez, who watched Executrix finish fifth in the My Dear and second

in the Shady Well, was pleased to see his filly notch her first stakes

tally.

"She's a real tough, little filly," offered Gonzalez, who has targeted

the Muskoka Stakes (September 3, at Woodbine) as Executrix's next

start. "A speed duel developed and we just kind of picked up the pieces

late."

Executrix, who finished third in her career bow on May 12, broke her

maiden in her next start, a 1 ½-length triumph at 4 ½ furlongs on June 2.

Executrix paid $10.70, $5.50, $4.20 across the board and combined with

Dancing Doris ($10.60, $6.70) for a $115.90 exactor. Do It Anyway

($11.30) rounded out a $1,076.10 triactor.

Comment sent by e-mail:

I would like to give my 2 cents Jen. I have to agree with the

gentleman with respect to the concrete and the escalaters, which is why my wife

and I love going to Saratoga and Fort Erie as they have not taken away that

relaxing atmosphere, maybe WEG should look at some suggestions of

improving the paddock area, as for the gentleman that would like to see the

stewards FIRED, I get the feeling you hate REFERREE`s also. LH