TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Veteran Patrick Husbands produced a stellar effort aboard 11-1 choice Paramount Prince to crush the field in the CAN$150 000 Plate Trial at Woodbine racetrack Sunday.
Going a mile and eighth in race nine in the much-vaunted prep for next month’s million-dollar King’s Plate, Husbands made all the running with the chestnut gelding to thrash the Canadian-bred three-year-olds by five lengths in a time of one minute, 49.99 seconds.
Eighteen-to-one Cool Kiss finished second while 16-1 choice Twin City ran on strongly for third, but favorite Stanley House was a disappointing sixth.
“Looking at the [Daily] Racing Form, it was fun for me [but] you still have to let the horse go out there and do it,” said the 50-year-old Husbands.
“Looking at the race, seeing how it would unfold, all the trainers will say, ‘take back,’ and I can get everything my way. And the race unfolded that way.”
Forest Buzz provided the early challenge for Paramount Prince, the pair dueling through the first quarter run in 23.83 seconds before Husbands got the gelding clear into the first turn.
Down the backstretch, Paramount Prince, led by a length-and-a-half from Forest Buzz, with rank longshots Velocitor and Gran Spirited stalking and 11-1 bet Simcoe and Twin City interested.
The race took shape, approaching the final turn. However, Stanley House moved from the back, and Simcoe flew wide on the outside.
Paramount Prince led the field into the stretch under pressure before exploding with a turn of speed to quickly pull away under some urging from Husbands to take the wire without a challenger.
There was disappointment for Husbands in the $150 000 Trillium Stakes in race seven; however, finishing third aboard favorite Souper Hoity Toity as Il Malocchio took the wire first.
Husbands also came up short in the $175 000 Connaught Cup in race eight, ending down the field with a 10-1 chance Dreams of Tomorrow.
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