TORONTO, ON – Wayne Spalding and Faron McCubbins’ 42-1 longshot Bullards Alley dominated by a race-record 10 3/4 lengths to win Sunday’s Grade 1, $800,000 Pattison Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine.
Breaking away from post 7 under Eurico Da Silva, Bullards Alley stalked in mid-pack while Messi posted initial splits of :26.58, :52.81, 1:18.98, and 1:44.52. Reaching Messi with 3 furlongs remaining, Bullards Alley hit the stretch and took off with ease. The Tim Glyshaw trainee crossed the wire in a final time of 2:34.37 for the 1 1/2-mile turf marathon.
“I saw the horse the last five times he ran; I watched all the replays,” Da Silva said after riding Bullards Alley for the first time. “This horse has been running a very good race. You know, he always closes.”
Entering the stretch, Oscar Nominated appeared to initially have a shot but was no match for the winner and finished a distant second, 1/2 a length ahead of Flamboyant, who in turn was 1/2 a length ahead of the favored Idaho. It was another length to Erupt, with Chemical Charge, Enterprising, Postulation, Messi, and Johnny Bear completed the order of finish.
Purchased for $11,000 as a yearling, Bullards Alley now has career earnings of $841,989 with a record of 35-6-4-6. The 5-year-old gelded son of Flower Alley made his Woodbine debut on July 2, finishing second by a neck in the 1 1/2-mile Grade 3 Singspiel.
“It just blew my mind,” Spalding said. “I never believed he would run that good, but he’s got the heart to do it. He just hasn’t got a break here lately and he finally got one. He likes the deep turf, so it all worked out good.”
The win marked the second straight weekend that Glyshaw took a longshot home in a major graded stakes race, following last week’s Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland with Bucchero.
Bullards Alley returned $87.90 to win, $29.50 to place, and $10.90 to show. Oscar Nominated brought back $9.40 to place and $5.80 to show, while Flamboyant paid $8.40 to show.
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