Salute With Honor Wires Durham Cup

TORONTO, ON – Live Oak Plantation homebred Salute With Honor took the field on a merry-go-round trip from gate to wire in Sunday’s $125,000 Durham Cup Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.

Salute With Honor, the 2/1 favorite from post 3 under Patrick Husbands, outgunned Inventing Blame for the lead heading into the clubhouse turn before posting opening fractions of :23.43, :47.36, and 1:11.78.

Still in command as he rounded the far turn, Salute With Honor drew off in the stretch and cruised home to win the 1 1/16-mile fast synthetic event by 1 length in 1:42.35.

“He’s a horse that likes to be forwardly-placed,” Husbands said. “I don’t touch him, he just does what he’s gotta do. I just be the pilot and relax on his back, and when I asked him, he gave me all he can give me.”

Skywire was unable to catch his fellow Mark Casse stablemate and settled for second by 3 lengths over Timeskip, while Pioneer Man – the third Casse runner – was a length further back in forth.

Roaring Forties, Armistice Day, and Inventing Blame completed the order of finish.

Salute With Honor’s win was his second straight after he defeated optional claiming rivals over this exact course and distance on August 23, his first start after six months away. The Florida-bred 6-year-old To Honor and Serve gelding improved his record to 19-7-2-2 with $299,158 earned after earning his first stakes score.

Salue With Honor returned $6 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.90 to show. Skywire brought back $3.10 to place and $2.50 to show, while Timeskip paid $4.10 to show.