Singspiel: Aldous Snow Edges Perfect Timber

Sam-Son Farm homebred Aldous Snow fended off late-charging Perfect Timber and won the $167,277 Singspiel Stakes (Can-IIIT)  by the slimmest of margins July 6 at Woodbine. 

 

Kicking from off the pace entering the stretch Aldous Snow swept up on the outside past several rivals, dispatching front-runner Dynamic Sky, and shaking free to lead in the final furlong with Javier Castellano. Aldous Snow gamely dug in when Perfect Timber stormed from last with Chantal Sutherland-Kruse charging home to his outside, and in a final surge thrust his nose across the finish line to prevail.  

 

Aldous Snow was timed in 2:28.85 for the 1 1/2 miles on firm turf and tallied his first stakes victory after four stakes placings that included a Canadian classic second to Irish Mission in the 2012 Breeders' Stakes over the same Woodbine turf course.

 

His overall record stands at 4-5-2, including three other turf victories, from 20 career starts and $433,775 in earnings. He came into the race having set a Woodbine turf course record of 1:38.62 for 1 1/16 miles in an allowance/optional claimer June 7. 

 

Trainer Malcolm Pierce aced a stakes double on the card following victory in the preceding race, the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-IIT) won by Overheard with  stablemate Deceptive Vision a close second.

 

Quaesitor grabbed the lead on the first turn and was pressured by Dynamic Sky through six furlongs in 1:17.27. Aldous Snow and Perfect Timber settled in fifth and sixth, respectively, in the six-horse field. Last year's winner Forte Dei Marmi, the 8-5 favorite, steadily advanced from fourth to be second at the quarter pole and bid at the three-sixteenths pole before giving way.

 

Hustled three wide late on the far turn, Aldous Snow challenged the front-runners entering the stretch and dueled Dynamic Sky, who had gained a narrow lead, to midstretch before wresting command. Perfect Timber rallied four wide into the lane and closed furiously through the stretch and just missed overtaking the winner.

 

Dynamic Sky chased the winner and runner-up to the finish line to take third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Perfect Timber.

 

From the penultimate crop of Theatrical, Aldous Snow was bred in Ontario out of the winning Quiet American mare Brave Destiny. The dam is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Strut the Stage and group winner and group stakes producer Sacred Song, who was group I-placed in England. The family includes two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Chief Bearhart and grade I winner Explosive Red.

 

Aldous Snow, the 2-1 second choice, paid $6.70, $3.80, and $2.90 and Perfect Timber returned $5.60 and $3.70 at 6-1. Dynamic Sky, the 4-1 third favorite, brought $3.80 to show. Forte Dei Marmi, Hampstead Heath, and Quaesitor followed.