(from Woodbine report)
On a fast day at Woodbine, Leonnatus Anteas, Canada’s champion 2-year-old male in 2006, set the Toronto oval's Polytrack record for 1 1/8 miles in the $150,000 Durham Cup Stakes (Can-III) (VIDEO) Oct. 13.
It was one of three Polytrack marks set during the afternoon.
Leonnatus Anteas, the lone 3-year-old in the field, and jockey Jono Jones finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Eccentric in 1:49.55, knocking nearly a full second off the previous mark set by Barracuda Boy (1:50.49) in last year’s Durham Cup.
Favored Arch Hall finished a neck back in third.
In the day’s first race, first-time starter Northern Netti covered five furlongs in a track-record :57.08. The previous mark of :57.35 was set by Eva’s World on Sept. 16.
Not Bourbon, who started Jones’ stakes sweep on the card, went six furlongs in the Bull Page Stakes in 1:08.84, knocking .19 seconds off the 1:09.03 mark set in August by Bridled Jet.
It was the second win from five starts this year for Leonnatus Anteas, who was a late scratch from this year’s Queen’s Plate. The hard-luck Stormy Atlantic colt won all three of his starts last year – the Vandal, Cup & Saucer and Coronation Futurity Stakes – but had to contend with injury issues during the off-season.
For conditioner Kevin Attard, the victory was indeed a sweet one.
“It was unfortunate that we had to scratch him so late (from contesting the Plate), when he had taken so many huge steps to get there,” said Attard of the colt owned by Knob Hill Stable and the estate of the Steve Stavro. “We’re on to the next phase of his career now, and it’s nice to see him back to his winning ways.”
After a narrow nose loss to launch his 3-year-old campaign, Leonnatus Anteas won a seven-furlong turf race before finishing fifth as the favorite in the Play the King Stakes (Can-II), also on the grass.
Prior to the Durham Cup, the chestnut finished fourth in the Louisiana Super Derby (gr. II) on Sept. 22.
“He bounced back well,” said Attard. “If I thought the ship had taken something out of him, I don’t think I would have run him today. He was a true professional. I figured we got beat five lengths, and I thought we’d move ahead at least five lengths in this race.”
“Kevin and I discussed the race, and it worked out perfectly," said Jones. "The only unlucky thing is that we didn’t get into any of the Triple Crown races because I’m sure he would have been a Triple Crown winner this year.”
Leonnatus Anteas returned $7.80, $4.20 and $3.40, combining with Eccentric ($4.20, $3.10) for a $39.50 exacta. Arch Hall ($2.50) rounded out an $83.40 trifecta. Palladio, Bold Finish, The Carbon Unit and pacesetting Powerful Touch completed the order.
(Chart, Equibase)