7/23/2023
4 WO Connaught Cup Stakes (GII) 
$175.000 3yo&Up 7f Turf
Sunday Sod Stakes Action, north of the border, and we head to WO for the Connaught Cup Stakes (GII) going the extended sprint distance of seven panels on the lush lawn, here outside of Toronto. This could go any number of ways, but I like the way Zee Q is handling his business right now, despite not have the recent stakes form that some of these have. he won in fine fashion, coming back to the grass, and I think he keeps that going. Mystery beat some of these in the Lure and ran a good race when third in the Beau at CD, but the distance sits will with him, and he certainly knows how to win. This is wide open, so grab a chilly and let’s get down to the rail.
Here’s The Field –
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Sleepy Sunday | High Voltage | Contreras L | 123 | 12/1 |
Makes his return to the races after selling at the Jun 23 Auction, and he has a pair of thirds prior to that change of ownership, both of them on wet sod. He shows a steady string of works getting ready for today, so let’s see how it goes.
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Mojave Rattler | Spankys Barn | Kimura K | 123 | 8/1 |
He’s 7yo now but keep running like he’s loving life. He’s still looking for his first win for the ’23 season but has a pair of seconds and a pair of thirds in five seasonal starts. He makes for a power one-two punch for the trainer.
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Mystery | Fractious | Saez L | 123 | 9/2 |
Won the Lure at SA and came back to be third in the Beau Stakes at CD, and there’s no doubt that he loves sprinting on the sod. His best should put him in the middle of this one, and I really like the distance for him.
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You Know Youre Right | Mo Mentum Farm | Lopez P | 123 | 5/1 |
He’s having a great year, only a single win, over this surface, none the less, but also has five runner-up efforts and a third from those trips to the gate, so he’s making money faster than the Treasury. I think you have to use him on your tickets, regardless of how you look at this.
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Panther Pie | Black N Gold Stable | Wilson E J | 123 | 6/1 |
Four wins from his five seasonal starts… and they are all at the extended sprint distance, and on the grass… the downside is, his only bad race is his only stakes race. A couple of these, including the winner, were in that race, so he needs his best.
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Zee Q | Gdp Inc | Velazquez J R | 123 | 7/1 |
Was nabbed for a tag back in Dec of last season and has a pair of wins and a pair of fourths from the starts for the new connections. All of those were at the Alw/OptAlw level, so it’s up the ladder… but off of that wire-to-wire win on the grass, over this track… he’s a horse that certainly has a bunch of upside and may have some value.
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Insist On Perfection | Maxmillion Farm | Carroll D | 123 | 7/2 |
He’s won two of his last three starts, all this season, but looked good taking down the Chamberlain Bridge at LS on good turf. That was a nice bounce back off of the bounce in the Lure… so who shows up today?
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One Man Show | Spankys Barn | Boulanger G | 123 | 3/1 |
He’s still looking for his first win of the season but has been close in a number of graded races. He tired to be fourth in the Dayton, after setting the pace… and that seems to be his M O of late. He looks like the probable post-time favorite, but he needs to stop the stoppin’.
COZMAN 6 / 3 Willie’s Green Card 1 / 8 / 2
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
