Well-Traveled Tone Broke Takes Prince of Wales
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Photo: Michael Burns
Ricardo Santana Jr. celebrates as Tone Broke wins the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie
Another stamp on the passport, another notch in the win column for L and N Racing's Tone Broke.
The 3-year-old son of Broken Vow completed a successful raiding trip for trainer Steve Asmussen July 23, when he captured the CA$400,000 (US$304,920) Prince of Wales Stakes July 23 at Fort Erie and denied Queen's Plate winner One Bad Boy a chance at the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
One Bad Boy, who led gate-to-wire June 29 in the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate over Woodbine's Tapeta track, took up his frontrunning position again in Tuesday's 1 3/16-mile test. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., riding his first race at Fort Erie aboard Tone Broke, found a perfect stalking spot in third as the early fractions went in :23.50, :48.02, and 1:12.59 with Queen's Plate runner-up Avie's Flatter chasing in second.
That one moved up to challenge even-money favorite One Bad Boy off the turn for home through a 1:37.19 mile, but Tone Broke closed with a solid kick to steal the win by two lengths. The final time was 1:56.56 on a fast track.
"He broke really sharp today and he put us in a great spot outside the speed, and turning for home gave me a great kick," Santana said.
Avie's Flatter held for second by a neck over One Bad Boy, while He's a Macho Man and Skywire completed the order of finish.
Plenty of prior dirt experience aided Tone Broke, who came off a third in the Queen's Plate on the heels of a runner-up finish to King for a Day in the May 18 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, as did the removal of blinkers after three starts with them.
The dark bay or brown colt spent time in Dubai earlier in the season, but failed to hit the board in two starts there. As a 2-year-old, he aired by 15 1/4 lengths to break his maiden on third asking going a mile at Remington Park in late September, won an allowance optional claiming race going the same distance in November, and was fourth in the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes in December before he was shipped to Dubai.
Bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry out of the grade 3-winning Smart Strike mare Mendocino Beano, Tone Broke improved his record to 3-1-1 from 10 starts, with earnings of $347,760. A $40,000 purchase by L and N from Keith Lancaster's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he is the third foal out of the mare to race and her second stakes winner, along with the black-type-winning Exchange Rate filly Stallion Heiress. Mendocino Beano's other foal to race, the Afleet Alex mare Conquest Fleetfeet, was stakes-placed at Woodbine.
Mendocino Beano, a half sister to the dam of grade 2 winner Mr Havercamp, produced a full sister to Tone Broke in 2017 named Sansa's Vow. The filly was a $210,000 purchase by Solis/Litt from Lancaster's Keeneland September consignment in 2018, and is training toward her debut at Woodbine. The mare also foaled a Hard Spun filly in 2018.
The Canadian Triple Crown concludes Aug. 17 with the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on the turf at Woodbine.