After a claim of foul by Twin City (Klimt) which took place at the first turn against Solo Album (Curlin), Touch'n Ride (g, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}–Niigon's Touch, by Niigon) was promoted to the winner's circle in Saturday's Ontario Derby.
The bay gelding won over the Tapeta in Toronto by 5 1/4 lengths at second asking July 30 before running a well-beaten fifth in the King's Plate Aug. 20. Winning the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown Oct. 1 in the Breeders' Stakes by a nose over SW Elysian Field (Hard Spun), Touch'n Ride was installed as the 2-1 favorite here.
With an even beginning, the Layne Giliforte trainee settled to the outside mid-pack just before the first turn as Solo Album cutoff Twin City to set the pace. Clocking all the fractions throughout, the leader held sway along the rail up the backstretch, continued into the final turn and with the field bearing down on him, crossed the wire by a length ahead of Touch'n Ride.
Once the steward's took down Soul Album, he was placed fifth, with Cool Kiss (Kantharos) finishing second, Twowaycrossing (English Channel) third, as Twin City was moved to fourth.
“I'm really proud of him,” said Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey Robert Landry, now General Manager of Chiefswood Stables. “Earlier in the year, we didn't even nominate him to the Triple Crown. He was a slow developer. In April, Layne and I watched him work together and I said, 'We may have made a mistake not nominating him.' You know, you've got to let the horses tell you and he did, and he ran a tremendous race. We'll give him a little break now. He's done a lot. We'll give him a chance to get bigger and stronger and bring him back next year.”
Pedigree Notes:
This was the 57th graded stakes winner for Candy Ride (Arg). Out of SW Niigon's Touch, who is also responsible for Breeders' S. hero Neepawa (Scat Daddy), the winner has a weanling half-sister by Justify who was foaled Apr. 1. Her dam was bred to Twirling Candy for next year.
Saturday, Woodbine
ONTARIO DERBY-GIII, C$179,300, Woodbine, 10-21, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:48.93, ft.
1–TOUCH'N RIDE, 122, g, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Niigon's Touch (SW, $204,615), by Niigon
2nd Dam: Laser Touch, by Touch Gold
3rd Dam: Laser Hawk, by Silver Hawk
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Layne S. Giliforte; J-Kazushi Kimura. C$108,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, $317,257. *1/2 to Neepawa (Scat Daddy), SW, $307,222. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cool Kiss, 120, g, 3, Kantharos–Hot Kiss, by Philanthropist. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (C$40,000 RNA Ylg '21 CANSEP). O-Newtop Stables, John E. Russell and Joseph Depaulo; B-Phoenix Racing (ON); T-Michael P. De Paulo. C$36,000.
3–Twowaycrossing, 120, g, 3, English Channel–Double Guns Girl, by Langfuhr. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B/T-Roger Attfield (ON). C$18,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 2.40, 25.10, 34.25.
Also Ran: Twin City, Solo Album, Forever Dixie, Stanley House, American Blaze, Velocitor. Scratched: Souper Blessing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Ontario Derby (G3)
1.800 m – 180.000 CAD – for 3yo
WoodbineTouch'n Ride (CAN)
(3C Candy Ride -Niigon's Touch, by Niigon)
J : @kazushi0096
T : Layne S. Giliforte
O : Chiefswood Stables Limitedpic.twitter.com/SyewuyxScU— (@WorldRacing1) October 21, 2023
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