Simon Says Yorkton Primed, Ready for Connaught Cup

Multiple stakes winner Yorkton looks to rebound off an off-key effort as the Chiefswood Stables' homebred takes to the turf in the $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) June 1 at Woodbine.

Trained by Stu Simon, the 5-year-old son of Speightstown  comes into the seven-furlong grass event for older horses off an eighth-place finish in the May 4 Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) at the Toronto oval. Simon is expecting to see a much better performance Saturday.

"He's doing really well," said the conditioner, who finds himself two wins shy of 800 for his career. "He came out of the race fine. He got caught ... got the inside press speed duel last time. He paid the price for it, but he's moved forward off it. We're ready to go. All he doesn't like is if the ground is too soft, but the forecast is pretty favorable now. If he catches firm turf, he's very good on it."

Last season proved to be a fruitful one for the Ontario-bred. In seven starts, Yorkton won a pair of races, finished second twice, had two fourths, and a fifth. The highlight came Sept. 15 at Woodbine when the bay won the Bold Venture Stakes (G3), his first graded triumph.

"The (Bold Venture) last year really stood out," offered Simon, looking for his third consecutive season of $1 million in purse earnings. "We're hoping to achieve more of that as he makes his way to maybe becoming a sire." 

After finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, to start his sophomore season in 2017, Yorkton won consecutive added-money fixtures, the Queenston and Charlie Barley stakes, then added a King Corrie Stakes crown in September of that year.

In all, the Simon trainee, who broke his maiden in his second start in 2016, has six wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 21 starts.

"He's definitely kept improving over time," he said. "He was a big boy before and now he's a man. He seems to have made that maturity step forward, physically and mentally. I don't think his last race is any indication as to what kind of year he's going to have."

Yorkton is no stranger to the Connaught Cup. Last year, he finished fourth to Caribou Club, who notched a 1 1/2-length score in a time of 1:20.22.

The Connaught Cup is race 8 on Saturday's 10-race card. The Greenwood Stakes, originally slated for May 25, but cancelled to severe weather conditions in the Toronto area, will be race 3. 

Entries: Connaught Cup S. (G2T)

Woodbine, Saturday, June 01, 2019, Race 8

• Grade IIT
• 7f
• Turf
• $175,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Shakhimat (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	116	Roger L. Attfield	6/1
2	2Savage Battle (KY)	Patrick Husbands	116	Nicholas Nosowenko	8/1
3	3Yorkton (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	120	Stuart C. Simon	4/1
4	4Eminent Force (ON)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	116	Dale A. Desruisseaux	20/1
5	5Hold'emforransom (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	116	Ian Black	20/1
6	6Emmaus (IRE)	David Moran	116	Conor Murphy	2/1
7	7El Tormenta (ON)	Luis Contreras	116	Gail Cox	10/1
8	8Curlin's Honor (FL)	Gary Boulanger	118	Mark E. Casse	5/2