Team Block’s Suntracer, who ended a 14-race and nearly
two-year losing streak when gutting out a nose victory over Pyrite Mountain in the Kentucky Turf Cup at
Kentucky Downs on September 13, has exited the race well and will now possibly shoot
for the stars in his next start.
“We’ll nominate him to the (Grade 1, C$1 million) Canadian
International (on October 19 at
Woodbine) and take a look at it,” trainer
Chris Block reported. “He’s doing very well. We’ll also consider the (Grade 3,
$100,000) Sycamore (on October 16 at
Keeneland).”
The Canadian International has traditionally attracted some of the best turf horses in
America not nominated to or interested in competing in the
Breeders’ Cup
Turf. The event also has attracted some quality horses
from Europe in years past, including three-time winner Joshua Tree, who in 2012
defeated the next year’s American St. Leger winner Dandino in a spirited battle.
This season, the race is expected to attract one of Suntracer’s favorite rivals, fellow Prairie State-bred and
2014 American St. Leger victor, The Pizza Man. The English Channel five-year-old
was last seen finishing fifth in Woodbine’s Northern Dancer.
Also looking seriously at the Canadian International are dual Grade 2 hero Grandeur, Northern Dancer
conqueror Sheikhzayedroad and possibly French Group 1-winning sophomore Gallante.
Block was also overjoyed at the excellent performance
of another Team Block homebred in I O Ireland, who was a pacesetting
runner-up in the second division of the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon on
the track’s closing day Wednesday afternoon.
The daughter of Giant’s
Causeway, a tough customer at longer distances, has taken to a gutsy front-running style like that of her retired older
half-brother,
multiple Grade 3 scorer Ioya Bigtime.
“Going into the first turn she was laying behind that longshot on the lead and she bumped her, so (jockey C. H.) Marquez said
‘I got
to get away from that filly’ and put her on the lead,” Block explained.
“She ran
really well. We’ll look at the $125,000 Dowager (on October 19 at Keeneland).”
The 1 1/2-mile grassy Dowager will be the first chance for I O Ireland to try three turns on the grass and a distance beyond 1 5/16 miles
— challenges Block
has wished to give the chestnut miss most of her career.
In other news from the Block shedrow, the horseman is taking things slowly with the
late-blooming Distorted Music. With a physique more mature than her age
most of her career, the big-shouldered chestnut lass has been a task to keep
sound — so Block is taking his time with her this fall.
“She’s doing really good,” he explained. “We’re going to take her to
Keeneland and we’re thinking about maybe trying the grass with her. She’s four
now and there’s no reason to immediately go for a stakes with her. She’s bred
for it somewhat on the bottom side. Otherwise, if we don’t do the grass, we’ll
look for an ‘a-other-than’ going seven furlongs on the main (dirt) course.”
The lightly raced Distorted Humor chestnut has been burning up the course in the mornings ever since her
September 5 comeback victory, including a handy
four-furlong move in :49 on September 19. She currently owns a 2-1-2 mark from
five lifetime starts.
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