Riker Remains Perfect With Grey Stakes Score
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Photo: Michale Burns
Riker wins the Grey Stakes.
Even-money favorite Riker made short work of his four opponents, going quickly to the lead, opening up, and cruising home to win his third consecutive stakes race and first graded contest in the $114,045 Grey Stakes (Can-III) Oct. 4 at Woodbine.
Riker has now won the first four races of his career for Tucci Stables and trainer Nicholas Gonzalez. The dark bay or brown colt is by Include —Desviacion, by Unreal Zeal, and was bred in Kentucky by Turner Breeders.
Under jockey Jesse Campbell, Riker opened up a four-length advantage through an opening quarter in :24.18 over Woodbine’s Polytrack. He was left alone to lope along through a half in :48.92 and six furlongs in 1:14.29. English invader Kasseopia, a maiden winner in England, track from second the entire way but could make little impression on the winner, who reached the wire in the 1 1/16-mile Grey in 1:44.31.
Kasseopia was 1 1/2 lengths behind and a similar margin ahead of third-place finisher Tizzarunner. Van Damme and Ruck completed the order of finish after Ultraflame was a stewards’ scratch.
Riker returned $4.00 and $2.30, with Kasseopia paying $3.50. There was no show wagering on the five-horse field.
Riker broke his maiden at first asking in July, then returned to annex the Colin Stakes July 25 and the Swynford Stakes Sept. 5, all over the Woodbine Polytrack. In his last three efforts, he has gone wire-to-wire. The Grey represented his first try around two turns. He has gone off at odds-on in three of his four starts, winning the Colin at 8-1. Tizzarunner finished third behind him in the Colin, second in the Swynford, and third again in the Grey.