Judiths Wild Rush Captures Jacques Cartier

Canada's reigning champion sprinter Judiths Wild Rush won Woodbine's first stakes event of the year, Saturday's $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes for older sprinters.

A pupil of Reade Baker, last year's champion trainer, the speedy gray employed a brilliant burst of middle speed and stayed on through the stretch to score by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:09.17 for the six furlongs over High Volt Jolt and Super Fuse.

After stalking wind-assisted fractions of :22.20 and :44.51, jockey Jim McAleney made the winning move when he angled the son of Wild Rush to the outside and quickly swept to the front.

The effort, which raised his earnings to $646,564, was a great improvement from two weeks ago. On opening day at the Toronto oval the 5-year-old Judiths Wild Rush was a soundly defeated third in the five-furlong Jacques Cartier prep.

The Jacques Cartier victory was the first in four starts for Judiths Wild Rush this year. In 2005, he won three of 11 starts, including the Bold Venture and Vigil Stakes at Woodbine.

The Florida-bred lost last year's Jacques Cartier by just a nose to Ministers Wild Cat.

Judiths Wild Rush returned $8.20, $3.90, $3.30, combining with High Volt Jolt ($7.10, $4.80) for a $70.90 exacta. Super Fuse ($4.40) rounded out a $331.20 trifecta.

(Chart, Equibase)