Third in last year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT) behind Wise Dan, British invader Trade Storm came from off the pace to claim the top prize over Kaigun on the turf at the Toronto-area track Sept. 14.
With no Wise Dan in the lineup for the $949,461 race this time, Trade Storm gave English trainer David Simcock a sweep of the grade I grass events at Woodbine Sunday. Simcock took the Northern Dancer Turf earlier on the card with another British raider, Sheikhzayedroad.
The 6-year-old British-bred son of Trade Fair was ridden to victory in the Woodbine Mile at odds of 9-2 by Jamie Spencer for owner Qatar Racing. The bay horse was bred by G. T. Lucas out of the Slip Anchor mare Frisson.
Trade Storm collected his sixth win in 34 well-traveled starts while boosting his bankroll to $1,430,898. The winner's purse for the Woodbine Mile was $540,900.
Kaigun, who rallied on the outside of Trade Storm in deep stretch but was outrun by the winner, finished a half-length behind. Pacesetter Bobby's Kitten held on for third in the field of 11. The final time was 1:36.87 over a course rated good.
"Obviously the ground was a little softer than ideal for him but we didn't have Wise Dan to contend with," Spencer said. "So it looked a good spot for him. The trainer, he's brought two horses here tonight and both of them have won; it's a happy ending."
The Woodbine Mile carries an automatic fees-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park for Trade Storm, who is not currently nominated.
"That's special, that one," said Simcock of Trade Storm. "I mean they're both special but he's really one of my favorites of all time out of all the horses I've trained. It's been frustrating with him sometimes, but even when he gets beat I adore the horse massively, so it's a really special result. I think it is special for the jockey as well.
"He'll probably take up 'the win and he's in' and go down to Santa Anita and enjoy himself and see how we get on," the trainer added. "He'll get his fast ground, which suits a fairly strong pace. It will probably be a tougher race, but he is in excellent order and he never disgraces himself. When there's a lot of pace into the race, he travels very strongly into it and he's got a nice pick up. All he needed was the gaps and he maneuvered his way through."
The lone European hope in this year's Woodbine Mile field, Trade Storm won for the first time in seven starts in 2014 while facing some of the best in England and Dubai, and snapped a 12-race losing streak overall. He was coming off a runner-up finish in the Betfred Strensall Stakes (Eng-III) Aug. 23 at York. Trade Storm's previous win came in the Zabeel Mile Sponsored by Stud Estrela Energia (UAE-II) at Meydan March 2, 2013.
"He settled well off a strong pace," said Spencer, who is planning to retire at the end of the season and take a management position with Qatar Racing. "I felt confidence in the horse that he was always going to pick up. I've ridden the horse for the last 18 months. Sheikh Fahad picked him out himself when he won in Dubai one night and bought him. He is reaping dividends now and he's won quite a bit of prize money in the last two years."
Bobby's Kitten, the only 3-year-old in the field, went directly to the front for Joel Rosario, leading outsider Ancil for a half-mile through fractions of :23.97 and :47.52 before River Seven and Grand Arch moved into contention around the turn. Bobbie's Kitten ran six furlongs in 1:12.27 while expanding his lead to 1 1/2 lengths at the quarter pole with River Seven and Grand Arch in pursuit.
As he was last year, Trade Storm was slow out of the gate from post 2 and settled into a ground-saving position while racing ninth to the quarter pole for a patient Spencer. Advancing to midpack in upper stretch, Spencer angled Trade Storm to the outside of Bobby's Kitten while Play the King (Can-II) winner Kaigun also swung into gear for Patrick Husbands.
Under urging from Spencer, Trade Storm took over from Bobby's Kitten near the sixteenth marker and held the rallying Kaigun safe in the final strides.
For the veteran Spencer, it was his first Woodbine Mile win after two previous tries. He finished second aboard Arkadian Hero, a nose behind winner Riviera, in the 2000 edition after being left at the gate and spotting the field eight lengths. In 2011, he rode Dance And Dance to a troubled sixth-place finish, beaten less than two lengths by winner Turallure.
Kaigun finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of Bobby's Kitten, with River Seven a head behind Bobby's Kitten in fourth. Second choice Grand Arch settled for fifth, followed by Lockout, Dorsett, His Race to Win, lukewarm 7-2 favorite Jack Milton, Silver Freak, and Ancil.
"The horse was stumbling throughout the whole backside," said Husbands of Kaigun. "Every two strides he was pitching, pitching, pitching. I was holding him together. When we swung for home, it's like, 'How much is he going to win by,' but he would not run. So as the English horse (Trade Storm) came up on the inside and passed him, he decided to run. The winner was fantastic. He ran a big race. But I'm still in shock with my horse."
Jack Milton, far back on the turn, came with a six-wide rally into the stretch but never reached contention.
Carrying 119 pounds, Trade Storm paid $11.10, $6.20, and $4.40 across the board. Kaigun, the 121-pound co-highweight, returned $4.80 and $3.40 and completed a $53.30 exacta. Bobby's Kitten paid $6.10 to show.
The result was another defeat for the locals in their premier race for older horses. The last locally based winner of the Woodbine Mile was Rahy's Attorney in 2008.
The all-source mutuel handle was a record $7,004,235 for the Woodbine Mile card.