A Woodbine Mile Shot with a Former Claimer

Sid Attard had his eye on a striking dark bay back in 2015, when the Street Cry gelding Glenville Gardens found himself in for a tag at Woodbine. This suited Attard just fine, although two prior starts for Melnyk Racing Stables were concerning. 

Tenth by 46 lengths in a December allowance at Gulfstream Park, then seventh in similar company there in January, Glenville Gardens was off until September of last year before he resurfaced at Woodbine. Nevertheless, Attard and his wife Janice brought the big runner home on a $40,000 claim—one of only four horses Janice owns personally out of 40 Attard has in training. 

Glenville Gardens flourished under the Canadian Hall of Fame trainer's care, winning five of seven starts and earning $204,060 this year alone. On Sept. 17 he heads postward as Attard's sixth shot at the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT), off a victory in the Aug. 20 Play the King (Can-IIT).

"He always showed some class," Attard said. "He broke his maiden in a stakes race (the 2014 Display at Woodbine). When I see a horse that has a little class, I always look for the breeding. When there is breeding, sooner or later, they'll show it."

Glenville Gardens, bred by Eugene Melnyk, is the first foal out of Melnyk's homebred Navy Gardens (Storm Cat). His second dam, Marley Vale (Forty Niner), also produced Melnyk's grade II winner and grade I-placed Indian Vale. 

Attard's sharp eye is well-documented; he picked up $40,000 claim One For Rose for Tucci Stables in 2002 and trained her to nine stakes wins and earnings of more than $1.3 million.

"You take a shot," the trainer said. "If it works, it works. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. A lot of times, we take shots that don't work. Once in a while, we get lucky.

"I claim for other owners too, but something like this, you're guessing. Sometimes I'm scared to ask owners to take a risk. The last two races, it looked like something happened to him. So I took a chance for myself. If it doesn't't work, you've got nobody to explain to."

Glenville Gardens took that claiming race back in 2015, then went on a winning streak for his new connections. He scored in an Oct. 10 allowance, then wheeled back to take the Oct. 25 Labeeb Stakes.

Attard credits exercise rider Ruben Peralta with helping the gelding focus.   

"He figured him out right away; he's been working for me for six years and he's a really good rider," the trainer said. "This horse was kind of tough out there; he needed a rider who was patient, with good hands, who would take his time."

Glenville Gardens rested until this spring off a 10th in the 2015 Kennedy Road Stakes (Can-IIT), but after a comeback fourth in the June 5 Connaught Cup (Can-IIT), he won three straight—including his first graded stakes last out.  

"It was a surprise," Attard said. "First we ran him in the prep race and he won it, so when you win the prep you figure, 'Eh, let's take a shot in the stakes and see what happens,' and he ran a big race and won. So now we'll take another shot and see what happens again."

Attard won the Woodbine Mile in his first attempt 15 years ago, with 2001 Sovereign Award winner Numerous Times. His best finish in five additional tries was a third in 2008 with Just Rushing. He hasn't had a starter in Canada's signature race since 2010. Saturday, he'll take on champion turf mare Tepin with his former claimer.

"She's tough, she's tough," he said. "But who knows; I didn't expect him to win last time, and he did. One thing I'll tell you about this horse; he's in good shape, and he's very, very happy. Now let's hope he makes us happy tomorrow."