Bullards Alley chased down history, winning the Pattison Canadian International by a record 10 ¾ lengths on Sunday, October 15, at Woodbine.
In addition to setting the record for the largest margin of victory in the history of the prestigious race, the five-year-old Flower Alley gelding also became just the second to earn a Brisnet.com Speed Rating of at least 120 in a turf race. Shirocco earned a 121 winning the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“We didn’t need Bullards Alley’s superlative Speed Rating to tell us just how special his Canadian International performance was, but it certainly helps give the race historical context,” Brisnet.com Director of Marketing Ed DeRosa said. “It had been nearly 12 years since the only other horse to earn a 120 on turf, so this truly was remarkable from a historical standpoint.”
There are more than 53,000 stakes races rated in Brisnet.com’s database, and Bullards Alley is just the 10th horse to earn at least a 120 Speed Rating. The other nine—all on dirt— are Arrogate (124), Fabulous Strike (122), Congaree (121), Curlin (121), In Excess (121), Midway Road (121), Criminal Type (120), and Rubiano (120).
“He just really relishes soft turf and was sitting on a big race,” said Tim Glyshaw, who trains Bullards Alley for Wayne Spalding and Faron McCubbins. “I never could have expected numbers like that, however.”
Spalding bought Bullards Alley for just $11,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, which dispersed breeder Eugene Melnyk’s bloodstock. Bullards Alley has now won 6 of 35 races and has earned $841,989.
From a more contemporary standpoint, Bullard’s Alley’s 120 Speed Rating is 5 points better than the 115 Arrogate earned when winning the Pegasus World Cup. Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite Gun Runner earned a 114 when winning the Woodward. The previous best turf rating this year was Beach Patrol’s 111 when winning the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Speed Ratings are available in the Ultimate Past Performances on Brisnet.com and are free to TwinSpires.com players when they wager.
