Stronach Stables’ homebred Don Cavallo took the lead with a half-mile to go and rolled to a 3 3/4-length victory in the 10-furlong Dominion Day Stakes (Can-III) July 1 at Woodbine (VIDEO). The 4-year-old son of El Prado was the 7-2 favorite in the 11-horse field.
Longboarder, with Joe Bravo up, set the early pace, setting sensible splits of :24.47 and :49.32 over Woodbine’s Polytrack layout and was tracked by Don Cavallo every step of the way. Don Cavallo, with Luis Contreras aboard, moved up to challenge for the lead after six furlongs in 1:13.11, then opened up coming out of the turn. He carried a three-length lead after getting a mile in 1:37.64. The final time was 2:03.47.
“He did a great job riding him, didn’t he?” said winning trainer Roger Attfield of Contreras. “I could tell down the backside how easily and strongly he (Don Cavallo) was going. He’s a very nice horse. I was very pleased with him and the ride today.”
James Street rallied from sixth early to finish second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of second-choice Stately Victor. The pacesetting Longboarder faded to finish sixth.
Don Cavallo paid $7.20, $4.30, and $3.10 in the Dominion Day worth $201,600. James Street returned $6.90 and $4.90 and Stately Victor paid $3.90 to show. The 4-11 exactor returned $55.50 and the 4-11-8 triactor paid $298.10.
Don Cavallo, bred in Kentucky by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs earned his first stakes victory in the Dominion Day after finishing second in the Eclipse Stakes (Can-III) at 11/16 miles at Woodbine in his previous start. In two other graded stakes efforts he had finished off the board. Earlier this year he finished far back of graded winners Doubles Partner and Baryshnikov in turf efforts.
Don Cavallo now has a slate of 5-2-1 from 15 starts. On Woodbine’s Polytrack he has a mark of 3-1-0 from four starts. He is out of the Mt. Livermore mare Transendental.