Attfield -trainee Ciunas and Jockey Sahin Civaci winning race 10 on 24 August 2025 in Woodbine. (Michael Burns photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbin
Toronto, Ont. -Non-year 3-year-olds will go in the $ 400,000 Breeders of Sunday, the last jewel in the Olg Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine.
The last event of the Tri-Surface series for Canadian-bred second-year students concludes on the inner city with the longest leg of 1 ½ miles. Mansetti won the 166th edition of the King’s Plate on August 16 and Runaway again took the second jewel in the series, the Prince of Wales Stakes, on September 9.
Ciunas goes to his first effort that counts down a few impressive victories, one on the main track of Woodbine, the other about the inner city of the Toronto Oval, for conditioner Roger Attfield, who has won a record of nine breeders.
A son of Silent Name (JPN) from the gray of the Mare Myrtle Oratorium, Ciunas was an impressive debut winner on July 6. Sent as the 5-2 choice in the 6 ½ furniture race that attracted 11 runners, the Rand Rally of the latter asked to post a 1 ¼-length score in 1: 17.65.
“He has a powerful late kick,” said Attfield. “That is the way we want him to run.”
In his most recent attempt, at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, Ciunas, bred by Jeff Zlonis, who, together with Richard Hogan, is co-owner of a powerful late turn of a foot to achieve a score of a length in 1: 44.44 on strong soil.
“He relaxed in the race early and he came very effectively with his run,” said Attfield. “That is what we have been looking for from him and that is what he has shown in both races. He can settle well in the beginning and then at the end in that beautiful run.”
Attfield, recorded in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1999 and the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2012, was impressed by Ciunas well before his career.
“He pulled me up from the moment we actually started blowing him,” said the 85-year-old, whose excellent CV includes a record-typing eight King’s plate victories, as well as three Canadian Triple Kroon Triumphen-with approval in 1989, Izvestia in 1990 and Peteski, and he always saw everything. “
“He comes along very nicely. This is a big step higher, but everything I have seen from him must enjoy the one and a half miles. That’s why we nominated him for this race.”
The decorated trainer, whose success of the first breeders came to Carotene in 1986, sees similarities between Ciunas and another horse that is once under his custody.
“I had his half-brother for years, Gray’s Fable,” said Attfield about the 10-year-old son of Gio Ponti, who won the Joy Stakes of the Kitten 2021 (G3T). “He won almost $ 700,000 and he was the same kind of animal [as Ciunas] In the respect that he always wanted to achieve, want to train and run. “
Ciunas placed a few five Furlong Bries on the Turf Training Track on September 14 (: 59.60) and 21 September (: 58.80) prior to the race.
Attfield, whose most recent victory of the breeders came in 2015 with Danish Dynaformer, expects a strong performance from his student on Sunday.
“He worked extremely well. He worked faster than I wanted him to go last weekend, but he did it in himself. I had to be happy with that, and his canter was very good. It brought the green light as far as the decision for the weekend.”
Trainer Rachel Hald, who finally finished first and second with Roscar and Saccharine in the Breeders’ Stakes of last year (both homebreads for Chiefswood Stables) sends a few hopeful in the course of this year.
Aristel At her eighth consecutive deployment of an exciting score, arrives in the $ 250,000 miracle where the Stakes, third stage of the Canadian Triple Tiara, on 6 September.
“We knew it would be a tough race, but she did so well in the race and we felt that she deserved to be there,” said Hald. “It was a great effort and she came out very well.”
Aristella, a daughter of more than ready from the non-brought street cry (Ire) mare, who won Princess Elizabeth Stakes last year, is 3-0-1 from 10 Starts.
Owned by Flying Zee Racing Stables LLC, De Bay debuted with an off-the-board finish on the Saratoga Inner Turf last July, and was fifth in her next start, a race of 1/16-Mijl over the EP Taylor Turf in Woodbine in September.
Aristella broke her girl in her third start, a triumph of 1 ¾ length over a mile and 70 meters on the main track of Woodbine last October.
Bred by Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests, LLC & Anderson Farms (Ontario), Aristella was a purchase of $ 70,000 (US) at the yearling sales of the Keneland Association 2023 September.
Adrian Harewood is the groom.
HALDEN’S STARTS, Borealis trailBroke through lately in a big way.
After three starts on the main track to launch his career, the homeboard for Chiefswood stables stormed along his rivals on the way to a girl-breaking 1 ½ length score on one miles over the EP Taylor Turf on 3 August.
A Bay Son of Quality Road from the pulpit Mare Aurora Lights, Borealis Trail debuted with a sixth of more than a mile on the Gulfstream head of April 19.
He succeeded it with a third at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Main Track on 22 June and a sixth over the same course and distance on July 13.
“In the latter on the grass, he ran a big race,” said Halden of the 22-1 upset. “We were very happy with that effort from top to bottom. This is a step on the ladder, but he is doing well.”
Ray Perez is the groom.
The most recent Triple Crown winner was Wando, who won the Stakes ‘Breeders’ in 2003 with Jockey Patrick men on board for trainer Michael Keogh and deceased owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.
Since then, a little O’Gold (2004), Pender Harbor (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two -thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs. In 2020, Belichick won the breeders and Stablemate Mighty Heart denied a triple crown.
The longest shot to win the use of the breeders was Miami Deco in 2010. The son of Limehouse bred by Ontario returned $ 132.10 for a win of $ 2. Catherine Day Phillips became the first female trainer who won the race thanks to a bit of O’Gold in 2004.
Post time is set before 1:05 pm et, with the 135th active of the posts of the breeders planned as the ninth race (about 17:39 et). The race is broadcast live from 17:00 to 18:00 et on Sportnet+.
The racing menu for the race includes rolling double, Exacta, 0.20 trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 pick 3 (races 9-10-11) and $ 1 swinger.
Field for the use of the breeders – Race 9
#Attfield #chases #10th #breeders