Roscar, under a perfectly timed ride from Justin Stein, led home a one-two-three finish for Chiefswood Stables in the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine Sunday. Roscar was vying for the lead with favored Hurricane Clair (Silent Name {Jpn}) into the first turn, but settled just off the pace as the Chiefswood trio lined up in behind the leaders as Thor's Cause (Brody's Cause) took the lead up the hill. Thor's Cause slowed the pace down up front, with Hurricane Clair tugging just to his outside and Roscar raced along the rail in cover of stablemate Side Street. Steadied off heals behind the pedestrian splits down the backstretch, Roscar was perfectly positioned when the pace quickened entering the bend and he skimmed the rail into the stretch to take the lead at the top of the lane. He scampered clear before holding off Saccharine to the wire. Hurricane Claire tired to last in the seven-horse field.
“We really liked this horse today,” said Stein. “And he's been showing a lot of talent, and we kind of thought he'd be sharp early leaving the gate due to being off for seven weeks. And it took a minute to settle him in to stride, and he was literally towing me, in behind traffic, just waiting for his chance to turn free and then he did the rest.”
Roscar, a maiden winner over the Woodbine all-weather surface last November in his only previous victory, was a well-beaten sixth in his lone stakes start in the Queenston Stakes in June. Switched to the lawn after that effort, the bay gelding was seventh going 1 1/16 miles July 19 and was making his first start since a third-place finish going 1 1/4 miles Aug. 11.
“Obviously, he's [Roscar] had a bit of a mixed up year and we haven't been able to get into a smooth rhythm with him,” said winning trainer Rachel Halden. “The Plate was on the radar to begin with, but after the Queenston, then it kind of threw us off path a little bit, and then we had to wait, aim for this race. So, it's just great. It's so deserving for the owners, everybody involved. When you kind of give up the opportunity of other races to wait for this, when it works out, it's just really, really great.
Of the runner-up, Halden added, “[Saccharine] has just barely done anything wrong all year outside of win. You know she's going to get the distance. I'm so proud of her as well today. She ran great again.”
Roscar, one of 12 stakes winners for Oscar Performance, is the first foal out of stakes-placed Rosemere, who has a yearling filly by Mendelssohn. The mare was bred to Midshipman this year.
BREEDERS' S., C$400,000, Woodbine, 9-29, (C), 3yo, 1 1/2mT, 2:34.72, gd.
1–ROSCAR, 126, g, 3, by Oscar Performance
1st Dam: Rosemere (SP, $115,639), by Court Vision
2nd Dam: Empire Rose, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Nashwan Rose (GB), by Nashwan
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON);
T-Rachel Halden; J-Justin Stein. C$240,000. Lifetime Record:
7-2-0-2, $230,338.
2–Saccharine, 123, f, 3, Noble Mission (GB)–Niigon's Legacy, by
Niigon. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Rachel
Halden. C$80,000.
3–Side Street, 126, g, 3, Kitten's Joy–Tara Street, by Street Cry
(Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON);
T-Layne S. Giliforte. C$44,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 4 1/4. Odds: 3.25, 5.75, 15.10.
Also Ran: King Rosso, Thor's Cause, Jokestar, Hurricane Clair.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#3 ROSCAR ($8.50) wins the final jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Breeders' Stakes at @woodbinetb. Justin Stein rode the Oscar Performance (@millridgefarm) gelding for trainer @RachelHalden, who also trained the runner-up. Chiefswood Stables owns the top three finishers. pic.twitter.com/ZVB4JuPlBE
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 29, 2024
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