The connections of City Wolf hope the 5-year-old Giant's Causeway horse gets untracked Oct. 14 in the $150,000 Durham Cup Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.
The Durham Cup, race 4 on Sunday's Pattison Canadian International card, is set for a 2:31 p.m. EDT post. TVG will once again present exclusive on-site coverage of the Canadian International program.
While City Wolf has lost five straight races, his most recent win came in last year’s edition of the Durham, a 1 1/8-mile race on the Polytrack for 3-year-olds and up. Stronach Stables homebred City Wolf, trained by Reade Baker, enters off a fifth-place finish in an allowance race on Sept. 21 at Woodbine.
The winner of that race, Melnyk Racing Stable's homebred James Street , will start from the rail in the Durham. James Street was second in last year's Durham Cup, which City Wolf won by 2 1/4 lengths. James Street came off a six-week freshening to defeat Alpha Bettor by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile test for trainer Josie Carroll.
Alpha Bettor, trained by Dan Vella for Bulldog Racing, won the Seagram Cup Stakes (Can-III) Aug. 4 on the Woodbine Polytrack, a race in which City Wolf ran second.
Gary Barber's Delegation won an off-the-turf allowance optional claiming race at one mile and 70 yards by five lengths Sept. 23. Trained by mark Casse, the 3-year-old son of Speightstown ran third in the Play the King Stakes (Can-IIT) on the grass Aug. 26.
Rounding out the field are Vertiformer , last of 11 in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) last time out, and Mobilizer.
$150,000, Durham Cup Stakes (Race 4, 2:31 p.m. EDT), 3 & Up, 1 1/8 Miles (All Weather)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. James Street (KY), J. Velazquez, 119, J. Carroll
2. City Wolf (KY), E. Wilson, 119, R. Baker
3. Alpha Bettor (KY), T. Pizarro, 121, D. Vella
4. Vertiformer (KY), J. Campbell, 119, W. Catalano
5. Delegation (KY), P. Husbands, 115, M. Casse
6. Mobilizer (ON), P. Smullen, 119, S. Smullen