Canada's Secretariat? Keep On Truckin Rolls Into Summer

Following two outstanding efforts to launch his career that had one of his owners comparing him to racing royalty, Ontario-bred Keep On Truckin faces his stiffest challenge to date when he goes postward in the $250,000 Summer Stakes (G1T) Sept. 15 at Woodbine, where he'll try turf for the first time.

The Summer Stakes, at one mile on the turf for 2-year-olds, is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event to the Juvenile Turf (G1T) and part of a stellar stakes-stacked weekend at Woodbine.

Keep On Truckin won his July 7 debut in a five-furlong race on the Woodbine synthetic surface by 11 3/4 lengths and wasn't challenged much more when he returned to that surface Aug. 3 to win the Clarendon Stakes by 7 3/4 lengths.

Bred in Ontario by Tim Meeuse and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Keep On Truckin was named by Brian Ledson as a surprise for his father George Ledson, founder of Cavalier Transportation Services. The two co-own the horse with prominent breeder David Anderson. Anderson, who recently joined the Ontario Racing Board of Directors in the role of representative for Thoroughbred Breeders, has high praise for the budding star.

"This horse is as close a specimen as I've ever seen to Secretariat," he said. "I mean, I know that's a really tough comparison, but he is just an absolute beast of a horse."

The Society's Chairman—Colbra, by Silver Train gelding was a $110,000 purchase from the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Yearling Sale.

Trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Keep On Truckin has a great mental approach to racing, which may be surprising to some who watched his career debut.

"His mind ... he's calm, confident, and determined, all at the same time," Day Phillips said. "We had high expectations going into his first start, but watching him in the post parade, when he dropped his rider (Eurico Rosa da Silva), we were shocked because he has always been such a composed horse. To continue the excitement, 'Truckin' went into the gate and moments later, Eurico came flying out the back. Despite his performances, we remind ourselves he's still a 2-year-old, and he's bound to make mistakes."

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse will send out Cucina and Proven Strategies. Casse won three straight editions of the race, with My Conquestadory in 2013, Conquest Typhoon in 2014, and Conquest Daddyo in 2015.

Cucina finished third in his local debut in the Soaring Free Stakes last out, his fourth career appearance at his fourth different racetrack. Proven Strategies enters off a closing second in the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore Stakes on the Saratoga Race Course turf. 

Todd Pletcher, who won the 2002 running with Lismore Knight, the 2004 edition with Dubleo, as well as the 2010 and 2011 renewals with Pluck and Finale, respectively, is represented this year by debut winner Mystic Lancelot.