The distinguished veteran Cruden Bay received high praise for his performance in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup, while Solo Album excelled in the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes.
Trained by Don MacRae, Cruden Bay achieved his first stakes victory in the $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup (G2T) at Woodbine. In the opening stages, Mark Casse's trainees, First Empire and Capture the Lion (who was added to the race) occupied the top two positions. Sofia Vives, riding Cruden Bay, settled him in last place among the eight contenders, as they completed the first quarter in :23.61 in the seven-furlong race for horses aged three and older over good turf on the E.P. Taylor course.
As the race progressed, the Casse duo continued to dictate the pace, reaching the half in :45.97, with Saratoga Flash and War Bomber (IRE) in pursuit, while Cruden Bay remained in eighth.
When the field approached the home stretch, the competition was wide open. War Bomber surged ahead, but Cruden Bay seized an opportunity and began to build momentum late in the race. In a thrilling finish, Cruden Bay managed to win by a neck, clocking in at 1:21.27. War Bomber crossed the line 3 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place Ironstone, with Capture the Lion finishing fourth.
Vives, who rode the son of Big Screen-Executive Affair for the first time on June 1—when he won at seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor—praised her mount. “When you're in the stretch, you just need to give him a clear run and avoid getting him blocked,” she explained. “Today, I had a perfect trip along the rail. Everything unfolded just right. There were three horses in front and two beside us, and they split at just the right moment. He’s a horse you need to guide, and he delivered today.”
MacRae shared in the excitement of the victory, noting that Cruden Bay, purchased for $33,822 at the 2019 CTHS Canadian-bred Yearling Sale, often requires the full stretch to reach the finish line. “I was jumping up and down! He knows how to win by a nose and gives his all. When Sofia made her move, I knew he would respond."
With this win, Cruden Bay, owned by Michael Lay and bred by Spring Farm in Ontario, improved his record to 7-9-1 from 22 lifetime starts. “I’m really happy for Michael Lay and my team,” MacRae added. “He has supported this horse since he was a baby and truly deserves this moment.” Cruden Bay returned $10.50 for the victory.
In another exciting stakes race at Woodbine on Saturday, Solo Album took an early lead and held on bravely to claim victory in the $135,000 Trillium Stakes Presented by Don Julio (G3). Ridden by Sahin Civaci—who earlier partnered with Mark Casse's My Boy Prince to win the Plate Trial Stakes—the 4-year-old daughter of Curlin-Summer Solo established a narrow lead over U.S. challenger Ocean Club as they entered the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile main track event for fillies and mares aged three and older.
Solo Album was a head in front of Ocean Club after a quarter-mile in :24.65, with Batucada and Ro Town close behind. Maintaining her slight edge, Solo Album completed the half-mile in :49.20, while her competitors, Batucada, Ro Town, and Fashionably Fab, remained in close pursuit.
As they exited the turn, Solo Album faced pressure from Fashionably Fab, who had found a seam before the stretch. Holding a length lead at the stretch call, Solo Album fended off a late challenge from Casse's Forever Dixie, who was added to the race, winning by a head. Fashionably Fab, who came into the event with five consecutive victories, finished just a neck behind in third, with Ocean Club in fourth. Five Towns (GB) was scratched from the race. The final time was 1:43.90.
“I knew she could come off the pace, but looking around, no one was pushing, and the pace was easy, so I took my chance with the rail open,” Civaci shared. “I felt them approaching, so I rode hard, and she held on.”
Solo Album, owned by Gary Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Steven Rocco, has a record of 3-5-1 from 14 starts. She was purchased for $535,000 at the 2021 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale and won last year's Grade 3 Selene Stakes. She paid $6.60 for the victory.