Five-time stakes winner Sand Cove is the 121-pound highweight in a field of five older horses entered in the Aug. 8 Seagram Cup Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.
A 5-year-old son of Bold Executive trained by Roger Attfield for owner Ralph Johnson, Sand Cove has eight wins to his credit in 27 career starts, with earnings of $624,756. Among his stakes triumphs was the 2008 Ontario Derby. In four previous starts this year, the horse won the Steady Growth Stakes restricted to Ontario-breds and most recently finished third in the restricted Ontario Jockey Club Stakes.
Three of the four other Seagram Cup starters most recently finished behind Hold Me Back in the Dominion Day Handicap (Can-III) on July 1. Pool Play, second in the Dominion Day, won the Durham Cup Stakes (Can-III) in 2009 and has three wins, five seconds, and four thirds from 18 starts for owner William S. Farish and trainer Mark Casse. The son of Silver Deputy has earned $338,709.
Running Stag and Eagle Poise, fourth and sixth, respectively in the Dominion Day, are also entered in the Seagram Cup. A Juddmonte homebred trained by Bill Mott, Eagle Poise is a Kentucky-bred son of Empire Maker who has won four of 16 starts and is seeking his first stakes victory. Janice Attard’s Stunning Stag has won seven of 21 lifetime outings for trainer Sid Attard, including the restricted Mr. Sassafras at Woodbine last year.
The field is rounded out by D. Vella and E. Seltzer’s Field Commission , a son of Service Stripe who was voted Canadian champion sprinter of 2009. The 5-year-old horse, winner of the Nearctic Stakes (Can-II) and Vigil Stakes (Can-III) in 2009, has won six of his 23 starts and earned $873,159. He is winless but multiple stakes-placed in four previous 2010 starts.
$150,000 Seagram Cup Stakes (Can-III, Race 4, 2:28 p.m.), 3YO/UP, 1 1/16 miles (All Weather Track)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Eagle Poise (KY), L. Contreras, 117, W. I. Mott
2. Field Commission (ON), E. R. Da Silva, 117, D. J. Vella
3. Stunning Stag (ON), E. Wilson, 117, S. C. Attard
4. Sand Cove (ON), R. S. Dos Ramos, 121, R. L. Attfield
5. Pool Play (ON), P. Husbands, 117, M. E. Casse