Sky Conqueror Soars in King Edward

Edited Woodbine release
Sky Conqueror was last at the top of the stretch but first under the wire to record a mild upset in Monday's King Edward Breeders' Cup Stakes (Can-II) at Woodbine.

Todd Kabel guided Sky Conqueror, a 4-year-old son of Sky Classic, to a 1 1/4-length win over Le Cinquieme Essai for trainer Darwin Banach and owner-breeder Bill Sorokolit. Odds-on favorite, Diamond Green, was another nose back in the third.

The running time was 1:46.64 for 1 1/8 miles of "firm" E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

The rare Monday card was added to the Woodbine schedule in honor of Saturday's Canada Day Holiday, already a live racing date.

Kabel, who collected his fifth Woodbine stakes win of the season in the "King Eddy," said his chestnut was full value in the colt's third career win. "My horse ran a strong race. I had a lot of horse. He responded well when I asked him and he kept on trucking."

Banach said the Ontario-bred keeps getting better and better. "He's maturing. He had a rough start to his career, he ended up with strangles (an equine bacterial disease) and was in quarantine for about six months in Florida. He's changed since then. He's a whole different horse."

The win (worth $180,000) more than doubled Sky Conqueror's lifetime bankroll of $138,555.

Sky Conqueror paid $12, $5, $2.90 across the board and combined with Le Cinquieme Essai ($4.60, $2.20) for a $41.70 exacta. Diamond Green ($2.30), a U.S. invader, wrapped up the $121.10 trifecta.

Tiganello, the other American invader (T.D. Vance was scratched), was
fifth.