Roger Attfield never imagined he would get career win No. 2,000 in the manner that he did.
The Woodbine legend reached the career milestone on Saturday when Lady Speightspeare went just about gate-to-wire in the $175,000 Nassau Stakes. However in that split second when the wire came, Crystal Cliffs was also there. And after several minutes of close observation, the two horses could not be separated and a dead heat was declared.
“Leave it to Mr. Roger Attfield, dual hall-of-famer to have his 2,000th victory have an epic story behind it,” Lady Speightspeare’s jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson said.
Lady Speightspeare led from the start of the one-mile turf race but lost the lead very briefly when Our Flash Drive put her nose in front. But Lady Speightspeare re-took the lead in the stretch and led to the wire, only to have Crystal Cliffs charge late to grab half the glory.
“I could not make number 2,000 that easy,” Crystal Cliffs’ jockey Rafael Hernandez said. “Down the lane, he got better and better.”
Attfield, 82, came to Canada from his native England in 1970 and while many other trainers build their careers through quantity, his was all about quality, working for top owners and putting horses in the right spots to win.
“I never really thought much about it until just recently when there was so much written about it,” Attfield said. “Lots of people win 2,000 races but they run a lot of horses. It’s been a good travel.”
Lady Speightspeare recorded her fifth win in 10 career starts. Crystal Cliffs, a French-bred mare trained by Graham Motion, won her fourth race in nine career starts.
PLATE CONTENDER
There still is lots to be decided in terms of the final field for the Queen’s Plate. But Rondure has put himself into leading-contender status.
Rondure just missed winning the Queenston Stakes on June 12, but there was no doubt he was the best in the $150,000 Marine Stakes. Ridden by Hernandez, Rondure settled into a comfortable position on the inside as race favourite Ironstone raced off to a clear early lead. Hernandez allowed that leader to do his thing but went by him at the quarter pole. From there, he drew off easily.
“Going into this race, I was concerned about the short timeline between the Queenston and this race,” trainer Katerina Vassilieva said. “But it wasn’t a factor at all.”
“I just told (Hernandez) to save as much ground as he could and come from behind. I just wanted him to get as clean as a trip as he could.”
Not a factor in his two starts last year, Rondure broke his maiden in May by 10 lengths before just falling short against The Minkster in the Queenston. Now the well-liked Vassilieva looks forward to the Aug. 21 Plate.
“It’s business as usual with the horse,” she said. “I’m just going to take good care of the horse and do right by him.”
ALSO SATURDAY
In the $150,000 Selene Stakes, Souper Hoity Toity provided yet another stakes win for the long-time partnership of trainer Mark Casse and jockey Patrick Husbands.
Sent off at 8-1 in the eight-horse field, Super Hoity Toity ran wide and near the back early in the 1 1/16-mile race. Husbands managed to get him closer to pacesetter Join the Dance along the backstretch and in the stretch, he worked his way by the leader and then held off even-money favourite Catiche to win by a length.
It’s the third-win in five starts for the Kentucky-bred three-year-old filly. Two horses looking to get into the field for the Woodbine Oaks, Pioneer’s Edge and Absolute Jewel, were both well back.
And in the $200,000 Highlander Stakes, trainer Wesley Ward brought Bound for Nowhere up north and jockey Pablo Morales navigated a lot of traffic to get him to the winner’s circle.
Morales sat in mid-pack early in the six-furlong turf race but found himself needing to switch his horse into an open lane to gun down Arzak in deep stretch to win at 5-1.
It was the ninth win in 19 career starts for the eight-year-old, who hadn’t raced since March at the Fair Grounds.
OVER EASY
Frosted Over, Canada’s top three-year-old male of 2021, scored a facile win in the $100,000 Dominion Day stakes on Friday.
Ridden by Kasushi Kimura, Frosted Over tracked two-time Canadian horse of the year Mighty Heart for much of the 1 1/8-mile race. In the stretch, Kimura gave the colt his cue and he ran off to a 4¾-length win.
“He was able to stay close early, just beside Mighty Heart,” Kimura said. “I just asked him from the three-eights and he just nailed it.”
WORLD VIEW
Young French star Vadeni won the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, England. Sparkling Water won the Durban July, the richest race in Africa, at Greyville, South Africa. Life Is Good returned in style after his defeat in the Dubai World Cup, easily winning the John A. Nerud at Belmont Park. And Olympiad took the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs.
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