Mark Casse, who won the Dominion Day Handicap (Can-III) a year ago with Marchfield, will have two more chances in the latest edition of the $200,000 race when a field of 11 lines up July 1 at Woodbine.
Casse will send out the improving 4-year-old James Street in the 1 1/4-mile Polytrack event, as well as So Elite, a stakes winner on turf last year at Woodbine. The 126-pound high weight will be Stately Victor, who is winless in three starts this year. Post time is set for 5:21 p.m. EDT.
Melnyk Racing Stables’ homebred James Street enters the Dominion Day off of consecutive allowance wins on Woodbine’s main track at 1 1/16 miles. The son of El Prado was winless in three starts to begin his season but scored by 3 3/4 lengths April 24 and came back one month later to take an optional claimer as the odds-on choice.
James Street has never raced at 1 1/4 miles but did finish a close third in a 1 1/2-mile maiden race last October.
Woodford Racing and Westrock Stables’ 4-year-old So Elite won the one-mile Charlie Barley Stakes on the Woodbine grass but has not been back to the winner’s circle since. The son of Pleasantly Perfect is 0-for-6 since then including a pair of off-the-board efforts this season. He was fourth last out in the May 28 Eclipse Stakes (Can-III) on the main track.
Patrick Husbands has been named to ride both James Street and So Elite.
Tom and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor scored his biggest win in the 2010 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and later in the season won the Ontario Derby at Woodbine. The son of Ghostzapper has made all three of his starts in 2011 on turf, his best finish coming in his season's debut when third in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) Jan. 29 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Stately Victor was well-beaten in his last two starts, the Mac Diarmida (gr. IIT) at Gulfstream Park and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs. Victor Lebron will ride for Mike Maker.
Another stakes winner on the Woodbine Polytrack is Roger Ferguson’s Southdale, who won both the Eclipse and Durham Cup (Can-III) last season. The 5-year-old son of Street Cry was also third in the Dominion Day in 2010 when Hold Me Back triumphed narrowly over Pool Play. Southdale, trained by Ian Black, was fifth in both starts this season, including the Eclipse last out.
$200,000 Dominion Day (Can-III, Race 8, 5:21 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/4 Miles (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Mint Chip (KY), 4/G L J M Campbell, 117, M J Doyle
2. Laureate Conductor (KY), E R Da Silva, 117, M P De Paulo
3. Southdale (ON), E Wilson, 121, I Black
4. Don Cavallo (KY), L Contreras, 117, R L Attfield
5. Center Divider (KY), J Castellano, 117, C C Brown
6. Perfect Bullet (KY), J McAleney, 117, R Baker
7. Alcomatch (KY), T Pizarro, 117, C Clement
8. Stately Victor (KY), V Lebron, 126, M J Maker
9. So Elite (KY), P Husbands, 119, M E Casse
10. Longboarder (KY), J Bravo, 117, M R Matz
11. James Street (KY), P Husbands, 117, M E Casse
