Palladio Big Part of Seagram Cup Six-Pack

(from Woodbine report)
Palladio seeks his second graded stakes tally of the season in Sunday's $150,000 Chinese Cultural Centre Seagram Cup Stakes (Can-III) over Woodbine's Polytrack surface.

The Roger Attfield-trained son of Lycius is one of six stalwarts vying for top prize in the 1 1/16-mile event.

Two starts ago, Palladio made a triumphant return to Woodbine, capturing the Eclipse Stakes (Can-III) by 2 1/2 lengths. The victory was his third consecutive local triumph, a streak that began on June 12, 2005 in the Victoria Stakes.

Most recently, the 5-year-old Florida-bred lacked his usual late punch in the 1 1/4-mile Dominion Day Stakes (Can-III), finishing an even third, 2 1/2 lengths behind True Metropolitan and Mustanfar.

Jockey Richard Dos Ramos said the distance of the Dominion Day wasn't the issue.

"The mile-and-a-quarter wasn't a problem. He wasn't himself that day. Roger found something out on him. It looks like he's back on track. I'm looking for a better race from him on Sunday," said Dos Ramos.

Five of Palladio's six career wins have come with Dos Ramos in the irons. Two years ago, the Brampton resident accompanied the Haras Santa Maria de Araras charge to Thistledown for the Ohio Derby (gr. II). On that July afternoon, the pair defeated Magna Graduate, a multiple graded stakes winner who will start in this weekend's Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga.

"I've won a lot of nice races on him. He's very honest. He gives me what he's got," explained Dos Ramos of the $649,812 earner. "When he's on his game, he's like a push-button horse, waiting for you to call on him."

Dos Ramos said he's looking forward to renewing acquaintances with Canada's reigning top older horse or gelding, True Metropolitan, who he defeated in the Eclipse.

"He's a really nice horse, True Metropolitan. Every time he runs, you've always got to be worried about him because he's a racehorse too," said Dos Ramos. "He's won one, and I've won one. We'll hook up again and probably all summer long. We'll see what happens."

$150,000 Chinese Cultural Centre Seagram's Cup Stakes (Can-III, Race 6, 3:32 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, ML Odds
1. Soul Rebel (ON), Jono C. Jones, 119, 8/1
2. Gouldings Green (KY), Patrick Husbands, 115, 4/1
3. True Metropolitan (FL), Todd Kabel, 121, 9/5
4. Fuhrever Dancing (KY), Justin Stein, 115, 10/1
5. Judiths Wild Rush (KY), Emile Ramsammy, 115, 6/1
6. Palladio (FL), Richard A. Dos Ramos, 121, 2/1