Sam-Son Farm's homebred Say the Word turned in the performance of his career Oct. 18 at Woodbine with a last-to-first rally down the outside of the homestretch to score his first stakes victory in the CA$340,200 (US$257,942) Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by Pattison (G1T).
Ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, Say the Word broke at the very back of the pack and trailed the field through the early stages of the 1 1/2-mile turf test. Admiralty Pier set the pace from the front and saved ground along the backstretch. The frontrunner maintained a one-length lead over Peace of Ekati, who stalked in second through a mile in 1:17.23.
Still racing at the back of the field as 1 1/4 miles went in 1:41.97, Say the Word began to pick up speed coming off the far turn when he was guided out into the two path by Wilson. Angled out even wider exiting the turn for home, Say the Word found his second gear at the top of the stretch and kicked forward.
Sir Sahib, who had raced in midpack from the break, was quick to follow Say the Word's lead and made his own wide move and tried to launch his own rally at the head of the lane. Say the Word continued to surge down the outside and managed to keep Sir Sahib at bay in the final strides. The 5-year-old More Than Ready gelding crossed the wire one length in front of a game Sir Sahib to complete the race in 2:29.87.
"It was perfect, actually," said Wilson, who won the 2015 Northern Dancer aboard Interpol. "The first time I rode him, (trainer) Gail (Cox) let me know that Junior Alvarado from Saratoga had said that he was funny with his mouth, he could be a little sensitive, and to trip him (out) in a certain sort of way. Last time (in the Singspiel Stakes, G3T), we got the 1 hole going a mile and a quarter, and I just got shuffled back. It took me a bit to just kind of get on the same page with him last time, being as sensitive as he was. I mean, he ran well, he ran third, but he was coming on (at the) end.
"So today, I was more confident with him, more ground, and I knew where the line was with him for my hands and give and take. He settled for me beautifully; I literally just held the mane for pretty much the first mile and a quarter. Then as I gathered him up, I knew … I just knew. He was gaining on them last time, and I just knew when he straightened, he was already in flight and it was going to be tough to beat him."
Sir Sahib was followed by Admiralty Pier in third. Count Again was fourth, followed by Woodbridge, Nakamura, Jungle Fighter, and Peace of Ekati.
Say the Word entered the Northern Dancer off a third in the Sept. 19 Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine. His only other win this year came Aug. 14 at Saratoga Race Course when he won an allowance optional claimer by a head going 1 3/16 miles on the grass.
"I think this horse kind of likes to know the people that he's with, so he's not one that's easy to shift around all the time," Cox said. "He also loves this turf course and he loved the distance. Last year, he was sent to me and we ran him on the Tapeta, and it was not to his liking."
Say the Word was bred in Ontario out of the Giant's Causeway mare Danceforthecause. He improved his record to 5-2-4 from 25 starts with earnings of $445,292.
