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 Owner Gus Schickedanz with his Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes winner Wando. |
Entries were drawn on Wednesday for the 113th running of the Breeders' Stakes on Saturday August 9th at Woodbine in Toronto, Canada. This is the final gem of the Canadian Triple Crown and Wando, winner of the first two legs, will be going for the hat trick and a $500,000 bonus here. Unlike the American Triple Crown, the final leg of the Canadian series is at 1 1/2 miles on the turf rather than the dirt, making it an even greater challenge. The last horse to sweep the series was Peteski in 1993, only the sixth to achieve the feat since the inception of the Canadian Triple Crown in 1959.
Wando has proven himself in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes despite doubts as to his ability to go longer distances. The Breeders' Stakes will definitely test his limits as well as his ability to take to the turf. He already has one start on the turf last year where he was second by a head in the Summer Stakes at 1 mile, so the surface really shouldn't be a problem. His biggest challengers should be Arco's Gold, who closed for second in the Prince of Wales Stakes, and Strizzi, who is an experienced turf runner and a confirmed deep closer. Sam-Son Farms is also taking a shot at the upset with three entrants, two of which are mainly turf runners.
When asked about Wando drawing post 7, trainer Mike Keogh said: "The post doesn't bother me at all. I don't think it matters going 1 1/2 miles. Patrick and I are going to talk about it (tactics). But you never really know what's going to unfold until the gates open. It looks to me like Parasail (post eight) will be going to the lead. I don't think Wando is a 'need to lead' horse. It's all going to depend on what everyone is doing."
 Gary Stevens |
The special guest drawmaster this year was Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who is currently starring in the new Seabiscuit movie. Stevens said Woodbine's E.P. Taylor Turf Course is his favorite turf course in the world because of the width and broad, sweeping turns. When asked if he planned to take any more acting jobs, he said there was a possible television series in the works with the same crew as the Seabiscuit movie, but didn't give any real details. Stevens will also be at Woodbine on Wednesday evening to sign autographs for the fans. For more photos of Stevens and the post position draw, check here.
The race will be telecast nationally in Canada on Rogers SportsNet Saturday starting at 4:00pm ET and the race goes to post at 4:40pm ET. If you can't get it on television, Woodbine does broadcast live video over the internet.
Below is info about all the Breeders' Stakes entrants with links to profiles and photos for each. Horses are now listed in post position order with morning line odds. The total purse is $500,000, all horses carry 126 lbs. and the distance is 1 1/2 miles on the turf.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | M/L Odds |
| 1 | Strizzi | Malcolm Pierce | Emile Ramsammy | 4-1 |
| 2 | Colorful Judgement | Mark Frostad | Slade Callaghan | 12-1 |
| 3 | Tracy's Tonka Toy | Gordon Colbourne | Jono Jones | 20-1 |
| 4 | Arco's Gold | John Ross | Constant Montpellier | 8-1 |
| 5 | Ballerina's Halo | Cliff Hopmans | Jim McAleney | 30-1 |
| 6 | Shoal Water | Mark Frostad | Todd Kabel | 9-2 |
| 7 | Wando | Mike Keogh | Patrick Husbands | EVEN |
| 8 | Parasail | Mark Frostad | Robert Landry | 8-1 |
Breeders' Stakes Info:
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