Implicated improved her record to two-for-two since moving to the barn of trainer Brendan Walsh with a 1 3/4-length victory over 2023 Canadian Horse of the Year Fev Rover in the CA$179,850 Nassau Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine June 29.
Owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Cambron Equine, and Laura Leigh Stable, Implicated won the 2022 Chelsey Flower Stakes as a 2-year-old and the 2023 Pebbles Stakes (G3T) as a 3-year-old while with trainer Chad Brown. Transferred to Walsh, she took a third-level allowance race by 3 3/4 lengths May 12 at Churchill Downs in her 4-year-old debut.
The Connect filly appeared to take another step forward Saturday in her first trip to Canada, where she took on Fev Rover on the Mark Casse trainee's home turf. With rider Declan Cannon guiding her to a midpack, stalking trip, Implicated got first run on the closers and surged to the lead midstretch. Fev Rover, who spotted the field 4-6 pounds, and Millie Girl were both fanned wide turning for home and closed belatedly behind the winner to complete the trifecta.
"Everything panned out great today," said Cannon. "Brendan and his team did a fabulous job. Had this race picked out for a while, and it all worked out today.
"With this being such a long stretch, I just wanted to ride her with confidence, like she was the best horse in the race. And when I really asked her at the eighth pole, just took her a little while to get organized, but I think that was just because of the ground as well, and I didn't want to rush her and get her unorganized, and she came home strong."
Implicated paid $13.30 to win. Her time for one mile on the good turf was 1:35.50.
Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, purchased Implicated for $125,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She is the first foal out of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare Wysteria, a half to grade 3 winner Kallio (Scat Daddy) plus stakes winner Clear the Runway (Broken Vow) and stakes-placed Sallisaw (Exchange Rate). Implicated has won five of nine starts and earned $413,360.
Connect, a grade 1-winning son of Curlin , stands at Lane's End near Versailles, Ky. His stud fee in 2024 was $15,000.
The Nassau was one of five graded stakes on the Saturday card.
Video: Nassau S. (G2T)
Paramount Price Reigns Again, Captures Dominion Day
2023 King's Plate winner Paramount Prince, last year's Sovereign Award champion 3-year-old male, notched the first stakes win of his 4-year-old season in leading throughout in the CA$177,800 Dominion Day Stakes (G3).
Showing the speed and staying power he exhibited in the King's Plate last year, the Society's Chairman gelding set a slow pace from the start under Patrick Husbands and was never threatened, timed in 1:49.35 for 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta. He was well clear of runner-up Stanley House and third-place Wicked Django. He paid $6.50 to win.
The Dominion Day was his second win in three starts in 2024. In his two earlier races, he was a close third in the June 1 Eclipse Stakes (G2) at Woodbine and scored in a March 10 allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park.
He races for his Michael J. Langlois and Gary Barber, who bought an interest in Paramount Prince after he showed promise during his 2-year-old season.
Video: Dominion Day S. (G3)
Casse Also Wins Highlander With Filo Di Arianna
Barber and Casse were also successful when Filo Di Arianna continued his Woodbine excellence by capturing the CA$200,800 Highlander Stakes (G2T). Filo Di Arianna races for Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch.
The Highlander marked his first victory since rattling off three victories in a row last summer at the Canadian track, with two of those triumphs in graded company.
Under Kazushi Kimura, Filo Di Arianna pressed the pace of Step Forward before taking command and pulling clear for a 2 1/4-length victory over a rallying Witty. Step Forward faded to third, a neck ahead of favored Oceanic in fourth.
The winner, an 8-year-old gelding by Drosselmeyer, raced six furlongs on an E. P. Taylor Turf course rated as "good" in 1:09.75. He paid $6.30 to win.
Video: bet365 Highlander S. (G2T)
Sabatini Aces Competition in Selene Stakes
NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods' Sabatini kicked off the day's stakes action by notching the second black-type win of her four-race career in the CA$150,900 Selene Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies. Her victory over Crevalle d'Oro and Witwatersrand resulted in her first graded stakes win.
Sabatini ($11.40), a daughter of Uncle Mo trained by Josie Carroll, raced 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta in 1:43.07 beneath Sophia Vives.
Video: Selene S. (G3)
Essex Serpent Adds to Casse's, Husbands' Totals in Marine
Rider Husbands and Essex Serpent used a bold midrace move to take control of the CA$172,200 Marine Stakes (G3) and then hung on to post a length victory, giving Husbands his second graded stakes win on the card and a third for trainer Casse.
"I knew I was on the best horse," said Husbands of Essex Serpent. "Sid (Attard's) horse (Babbo) is a speed horse and my horse comes with a sprint and I could see what Sid's jockey was doing and then by the five-eighths pole I could see him easing back and I say, 'Hey I'm driving a jag man.'"
Owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad, the 3-year-old Honor Code gelding won for the second time in three lifetime starts. His only loss was a second-place finish in the Queenston Stakes in his second start.
Bred in Ontario by Conrad Farms, Essex Serpent is out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Eileen's Girl, a half sister to Summer Stakes (G2T) winner Untamed Domain. His final time for 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta was 1:43.03.
Essex Serpent paid $13.70 to win. Cameo Performance finished second after making a menacing move on the far turn. Midnight Mascot ran third.
