A change in equipment and distance proved a difference maker for G T Five Hundred July 19 as he pulled off a surprise 31-1 upset in the $144,995 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.
The victory was a second in four starts since being purchased privately by Centennial Farms (Niagara) and moving north from Mike Maker's barn to Dale Desruisseaux's in Canada. Having experience with the 6-year-old Astern gelding under his belt, Desruisseaux decided to remove the blinkers and also stretched him out to a two-turn 7 1/2 furlongs.
"He's worn blinkers every race of his life, I didn't know if it was going to be a mistake or not, but it worked out." Desruisseaux told Woodbine publicity. "I just wanted to get him a little relaxed. We learned a lot about him, the second start, that he doesn't want to be rated. I think the longer distance allows him to be free-wheeling and use what his attributes are."
Jockey Jose Campos kept G T Five Hundred relaxed in second as favored Maycocks Bay opened up a 3-length lead down the backstretch while setting fractions of :23.46, :46.20, and 1:09.76. Piper's Factor moved up on his outside entering the far turn, forcing Campos to start urging his mount forward. G T Five Hundred responded and kept himself in contention.
Maycocks Bay began to weaken with a furlong to go, and G T Five Hundred was the first to go by. Irish Aces put in a strong run to finish second by a half-length with the favorite holding third. G T Five Hundred stopped the clock in 1:28.64 and paid $64.20 to win.
The victory continued a strong day for his winning trainer and owner, who had won the Plate Trial Stakes earlier with Highwaytothemoon. Previously a two-time stakes winner, G T Five Hundred earned his first graded victory and improved his record to 11-6-7 from 44 starts for earnings of $659,542.
Bred in Kentucky by Joe, John, and Karen Mulholland, G T Five Hundred is out of the winning Mineshaft mare Cocoanut Row.
Video: bet365 Connaught Cup S. (G2T)
Vina Arana Earns First Graded Win in Nassau
It was also a first graded victory Sunday for Vina Arana, who closed from last of 6 to win the $142,711 Nassau Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.
Jockey Adam Beschizza, having never ridden Woodbine's inner turf course, took time before the races to walk the course. Whatever he learned on that walk must have helped.
"I thought it would be a good idea to get a feel for it myself under foot," Beschizza told Woodbine publicity. "Just see what the turns are going to come up as. They are a little tight."
He rode them to perfection as, after racing last behind Quadruple's fractions of :22.82 and :46.55, he hit the launch button entering the far turn. Moving forward inside two horses, Beschizza swung outside the other four to have her head in front as they turned for home.
The 5-year-old daughter of Make Believe then opened up, defeating Equitas by 4 lengths while Sultana was third. She stopped the clock in 1:35.40 for 1 mile, and paid $6.20 to win.
Owned by Sterling Stables and MHM Stables, Sunday's race was a first stop in Canada after racing near-exclusively in Kentucky for trainer Jack Sisterson since coming over from Ireland in the summer of 2024.
"I always said to Jack, 'This filly will repay you in a graded stake,'" Beschizza said. "The racing is so competitive back in Kentucky, it kind of forces you to play your hand somewhere else so you can maybe get a softer touch in one of these graded stakes races. She has a good handful of ability, and she deserves to win a race like this because she's more than capable."
"You see an impressive performance this afternoon, which we thought she was well capable of," Sisterson told Woodbine publicity. "We always thought she had a performance like this in her, and Adam rode a great race."
Bred in Ireland by Funcheon Bloodstock, she is out of the Teofilo mare Sunset Dazzle.
