The inaugural $480,000 Upper Canada Cup produced a thrilling finish when Millionaire Cam broke at the wire handing the victory to 20-1 longshot Stonebridge Terror
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Post time favourite Oscar Oscar (Mark MacDonald) fired off the gate and landed on top before the first quarter in :26.3. As he approached the half in :55.4, Primary Purpose (Brad Forward) moved first-over and advanced steadily en route to three-quarters in 1:24.1.
Meanwhile, Stonebridge Terror and driver Mike Saftic, who sat at the back of the pack for most of the mile, moved to the outside and was positioned fourth-over in eighth.
As the field turned for home, Primary Purpose reached up for the lead, but the backfield was gearing up and angling wide. Millionaire Cam (Jody Jamieson) tipped off second-over cover and managed to nose out his rivals, who spread across the wire, but an unfortunate miscue placed him back to seventh.
Stonebridge Terror, who had come flying home in :27.2, inherited the win in a career-best clocking of 1:52.4. Waffles And Cream (James Morrill, Jr.) was placed second from third and Primary Purpose was bumped up to third place after finishing fourth.
“[Turning for home] there was just a wall of horses,” said Saftic following the race. “I tipped five-wide coming off that turn. I just drove him to the wire and there was a blanket of horses. It was a good horse race.”
“At the three-quarter pole I didn’t think we had much of a chance,” admitted owner and trainer Jack Darling. “They came flying down the lane and it was pretty exciting.
“That’s too bad,” said Darling in regards to Millionaire Cam’s break, “but everything happened so fast at the end there I just didn’t know if [Stonebridge Terror] had finished first, second or third.
“I thought he would race good. I thought he raced phenomenal last week in his first start being first-over like that so I thought he’d race good, but out of the eight-hole I really didn’t think there was that much of a chance of winning.”
“He is eligible to the North America Cup,” added Darling. “He was just kind of borderline, but I kept him eligible. Now after tonight, I think he’ll be there, but we got the Sires Stakes next week and then after the North America Cup its Sires Stakes.”
The three-year-old son of Western Terror scored his first win of the season and third in his career bringing his total bankroll to $366,010.
In the $50,000 Consolation, My Gift To You established a new mark of 1:52.3 for trainer Jeff Gillis and owner Martin Scharf of Lawrence, New York.
After a :27.2 opening quarter put up by the 2-1 second choice, My Gift To You and driver Jody Jamieson, fan favourite Fast Pay (Paul MacDonell) moved first up from fourth and locked in a duel with the pacesetter through middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:23.1. As the pair turned for home, My Gift To You gained the upper hand and paced home in :29.2 to win by two lengths.
Fast Pay stayed for second and Strand Hanover (Stephen Byron) finished third.
My Gift To You notched his eighth win of the year and 11th of his career pushing his bankroll over the $100,000 mark.
To view Saturday's results, click here.