Thor's Rocket Thunders Home in Overskate Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Thor's Rocket wins the Overskate Stakes at Woodbine
With a stunning, last-to-first performance over the Woodbine oval, Thor's Rocket blasted to the wire to win the $100,000 Overskate Stakes and take home his first win in more than two years.
Breaking last in a nine-horse field that included multiple stakes winner and Canadian champion Pink Lloyd, Thor's Rocket was still firmly at the back when the field reached the half-mile mark in :46.41.
Setting the pace from the break, Sweet Grass Creek faltered at the five-sixteenths pole and dropped back to fourth as Pink Lloyd briefly took command from the top of the stretch.
Angled out wide by jockey Alan Garcia, Thor's Rocket swept past his competition with ease as they approached the wire, passing Red Cabernet, then Not So Quiet, and finally Pink Lloyd to cross the finish a half-length in front. Final time for the seven-furlong sprint was 1:22.48.
Red Cabernet took second, and Silent Poet was third. Fan favorite Pink Lloyd finished fourth, two lengths behind the winner. Boreal Spirit, Kingsport, Not So Quiet, Eskiminzin, and Sweet Grass Creek completed the order of finish.
The 5-year-old gelding owned by Buttigieg Training Centre and Gus Vlahos snapped a 13-race losing streak. The chestnut son of Old Forester last won the Vice Regent Stakes on Oct. 2, 2016.
"He was on an amazing roll all this campaign, and then today he won the race. It was well-deserved," said Garcia. "He's a nice horse who can run anything. I think they did an excellent job with this boy, so I'm glad to get the victory today."
Bred in Ontario by his trainer, Paul Buttigieg, Thor's Rocket was consigned by his breeder to the 2014 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Canadian-bred Yearling Sale, where he was purchased for $23,000 by Vlahos. He improved his record to 5-2-4 from 20 starts, with earnings of $263,728.
Video: Overskate S. (BT)