Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup races.Breeders’ Cup Challenge Results: Rahy’s Attorney Wins Woodbine Mile
Posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2008
Ontario-bred Rahy’s Attorney, ridden by jockey Slade Callaghan, scored an upset in the $1 million Woodbine Mile (G1) September 7 at Woodbine.
Trained by Ian Black, Rahy’s Attorney, unbeaten in 3 career starts at one mile on the grass, kept his winning streak intact by taking one of the most prestigious turf races on the continent, a hard-fought, 1 1/4 length win over Ventura, as the two battled from the eighth pole to the wire over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course at Woodbine. Just Rushing wound up third, with Ice Bear fourth, as the mile was reached in 1:36.14.
Meanwhile, odds-on favorite Kip Deville, who came into the Woodbine Mile on a 3-race win streak, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Monmouth Park, floundered down the stretch, eventually dropping to fifth, 5 lengths behind the winner.
The Woodbine Mile was one of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge horse races, so Rahy’s Attorney earned a place in the Breeders’ Cup field for the Breeders’ Cup Mile on October 25 at Santa Anita, should his connections choose to run him. However, it will cost his owners an extra $180,000 to enter.
Rahy’s Attorney earned a $660,000 first place prize in the Woodbine Mile for owners Ellie Boje Farm, Mitch Peters, Dean Read and Jim and Jean MacLellan.
A son of Crown Attorney, who finished third to Geri in the inaugural Woodbine Mile back in 1997, Rahy’s Attorney was well positioned in third on the inside for the first half mile, as Just Rushing and Kip Deville took the eight-horse field through a :24.47 opening quarter and a :48.25 half-mile.
As the leaders swung into the far turn, Callaghan quickly moved Rahy’s Attorney between the leaders and opened several lengths on his rivals turning into the long stretch, as the six furlongs was reached in 1:11.93.
Kip Deville, with Cornelio Velasquez, swung outside to mount his charge, but failed to fire down the lane, as Ventura, the only filly in the field, and jockey Garrett Gomez, found a seam inside and set sail for the leader.
However, the four-year-old gelding Rahy’s Attorney repulsed the challenge and claimed the Woodbine Mile crown, certainly the biggest score in his career.
“I was just off the pace going around the turn,” explained jockey Slade Callaghan. “I knew my horse could last the distance. So I made an early move with him. To be honest, I wanted to be right on the fence. I had to swing him out a little bit to get by Just Rushing, then back to the rail. This horse loves the rail. This is a tremendous effort against Kip Deville. I thought he (Kip Deville) was heads and tails above the rest of the field in here. But my horse had home advantage.”
Rahy’s Attorney came into the Woodbine Mile off 3 distance races, in which he’d finished second, third and most recently fourth, in the mile and one quarter Nijinsky Stakes on August 4. He’d had only one win, the mile and one-sixteenth Connaught Cup, in five outings this year.
“I think he must be (a miler). I was trying to make him something else,” laughed race horse trainer Ian Black. “Well, I was always happy where he was. He heeled up so much, he ran huge down the lane.”
With the victory, Rahy’s Attorney became the fourth Ontario-bred to win the Woodbine Mile in its 12 editions, joining Soaring Free (2004), Numerous Times (2001) and Quiet Resolve (1999). He’s also the fourth gelding to win, joining Becrux (2006), Soaring Free (2004) and Quiet Resolve (1999).
Last season, Rahy’s Attorney won five of nine starts, including wins in two one-mile, Ontario Sires turf stakes, the Vice Regent and Bunty Lawless.
“It was disappointing,” said race horse trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr., about Kip Deville, the top ranked miler in North America. “Maybe he didn’t like it (the soft turf). I’m not going to cry and complain about it. He’s usually run good on soft courses. We can’t explain anything why he didn’t fire. He had everything go his way. He just broke so good and let the other horses come up on the inside of him. I’ll try to figure out what his excuse is. I’m sure he’s got one.”
Kip Deville’s jockey Cornelio Velasquez added, “He broke good. He did not try today. He wasn’t running today. Whether he did not like the track, I don’t know.”
As the 12-1 third choice, Rahy’s Attorney paid $27.30, $8.70 and $9.30, while Ventura returned $4.20, $4.90. Just Rushing paid $9.90 to show.
With the $660,000 winning purse in the Woodbine Mile, Rahy’s Attorney also became horse racing’s newest millionaire, now with over $1.1 million in career earnings.
Mulmur was 6th in the Woodbine Mile followed by Palladio and Wollemi Pine.
Horse racing news edited from www.woodbineentertainment.com.
Horse racing tags: Ice Bear, Just Rushing, Kip Deville, Mulmur, Palladio, Rahy's Attorney, Ventura, Wollemi Pine
"Breeders’ Cup Challenge Results: Rahy’s Attorney Wins Woodbine Mile" was posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2008 at 10:11 pm and is filed under Canada Horse Racing, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, Woodbine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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