Go Greely Goes for Grade in Grey Stakes
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Multiple stakes winner Go Greeley, a nose away from being undefeated in five starts, looks for his first graded win in the $150,000 Grey Stakes (Can-III) Oct. 6 on the Polytrack at Woodbine.
Just four opposing 2-year-olds were entered to face Go Greeley, who tries 1 1/16 miles for the first time for trainer John Ross and J. R. Racing Stable. The son of Horse Greeley is coming off a nose victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe Stakes over Spin the King, the horse that defeated him in the Clarendon Stakes July 7. Go Greeley has won three straight since that loss, all in stakes, and will not have to face Spin the King in the Grey.
One of two graded races on Sunday's Woodbine card, the Grey is race 6 with a probable post time of 3:20 p.m. EDT. The Durham Cup (Can-III) is later on the program.
Bred in Ontario by Shannon Farms, Go Greeley is the second foal and first winner out of the Smoke Glacken mare Orchids Halo. The dark bay colt cost Jam Jar Stables $40,556 as a yearling at auction in Canada last year through Cara Bloodstock, agent for Shannon Farms. A 3 3/4-length winner at first asking in maiden company last May, Go Greeley has reeled off victories in the listed Colin Stakes, the restricted Vandal, and the Simcoe since his lone defeat, all at Woodbine. He has banked $356,371.
Gary Boulanger takes the mount, replacing Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who will be at Keeneland Sunday to ride Sisterly Love in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I). Go Greeley, breaking from post 4, carries 125 pounds, 10 more than each of his opponents.
Sagamore Farm's Maryland homebred Give No Quarter should provide an intriguing test for the favorite. The son of Tiz Wonderful scored a front-running 22 1/2-length maiden win going one mile as an odds-on favorite in his second start over the Tapeta racing surface at Presque Isle Downs Sept. 17. Graham Motion trains the dark bay colt, a half brother to stakes-winning filly Tell a Great Story, who was most recently third in the Delaware Oaks (gr. II) July 13.
Give No Quarter, second in his debut at Presque Isle, gets the services of veteran jockey Patrick Husbands.
John Oxley's maiden Matador switches back to the all-weather track following a third-place finish in the Summer Stakes (Can-IIIT) on turf Sept. 14 for trainer Mark Casse. The Ontario-bred Malibu Moon colt debuted with a fourth-place effort on the Polytrack in the restricted Vandal Stakes.
Casse is seeking his third Grey win in four years, following Blue Laser and Prospective in 2010-11, and his fourth overall.
Big Bazinga and Ami's Holiday both step up to stakes competition off recent debut maiden wins at Woodbine.
$150,000 Grey Stakes (Can-III, race 6, 3:20 p.m.), 2YOs, 1 1/16 Miles (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Big Bazinga (KY), O Moreno, 115, S Dominguez
2. Matador (ON), J Stein, 115, M E Casse
3. Give No Quarter (MD), P Husbands, 115, H G Motion
4. Go Greeley (ON), G Boulanger, 125, J A Ross
5. Ami's Holiday (ON), L Contreras, 115, J Carroll