Favored Philip My Dear used his patented stretch kick to beat a solid group of Canadian-bred 2-year-olds on Sunday in the 85th running of the $251,600 Cup and Saucer Stakes at Woodbine.
A son of Silent Name, Philip My Dear earned $150,000 in his second stakes success for Raroma Stable. He captured the Soaring Free Stakes in his second start on August 20 and was coming off a good third in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes. Sold at the 2021 Keeneland September sale by Hidden Brook Farm for breeder Adena Springs, Philip My Dear has now earned $287,206.
After breaking from the outside post 12 under Kazushi Kimura, Philip My Dear was rated at the rear of the field on the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile grass event.
British Artillery and Sooner Lunar dueled through quick fractions until midstretch, while Philip My Dear was in the midst of his wide rally.
Philip My Dear came on strongly in the final furlong to prevail by three-quarters of a length over a closing Stayhonor Goodside, in a time of 1:41.61.
Battle Strike finished another three-quarters of a length back in third, and Sooner Lunar faded to fourth. Cool Kiss, the 7-2 second choice, trailed.
Philip My Dear was the third winner on the card for trainer Kevin Attard.
“The idea was to get him back and save ground,” Attard said. “He broke so sharp and when I saw him suck back, it was a little bit more than what I was anticipating. He’s just got such a great explosive turn of foot. He seems to thrive in traffic and run behind horses. He’s just a nice horse to have in the barn. He seems to be the leader of his division right now.”
Attard said Philip My Dear could run back on Nov. 6 in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity going 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta, over which he trains regularly but has yet to compete over.
-edited from www.drf.com
