Cairo Caper and jockey Jose Campos winning Race 1 on July 4, 2024, at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Cairo Caper, a son of Cairo Prince-Summer Clothes, will make his stakes debut in the $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free, a 6 ½-furlong race for 2-year-olds on the E.P. Taylor turf, Saturday at Woodbine.
Part of a King’s Plate card that also features four stakes, the Soaring Free has attracted nine hopefuls, including Cairo Caper.
The grey gelding, bred in Kentucky by Bret Jones, heads into the race off a sharp maiden-breaking score on July 4.
Under Jose Campos, who will be aboard again on Saturday, Cairo Caper shadowed the leader in the six-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor turf before drawing off to a 1 ½-length victory in a time of 1:09.60 over firm ground.
The only thing that caught trainer Nathan Squires off guard was a number on the infield tote board.
“I was surprised that he didn’t go off as the favourite,” said Squires, of the 6-1 odds. “But the win was no surprise to me. I expected him to win, and he did exactly as we had planned it out. There was a lot of improvement from his first race to that one.
“It also reminded me that the Cairo Prince horses can run on any surface and at any distance.”
Owned by William B. Thompson, Jr., Cairo Caper debuted on May 31, and finished third in a five-furlong race over the Woodbine all-weather course.
Squires has liked what he has seen in both starts but is even more impressed with how the rookie has worked since his maiden-breaking triumph.
“Since he last ran and won, I gave him a little down time. He’s grown and put on some weight. He had three works after his win, and then he also worked on August 10, and did it exceptionally well.
“In that latest one, he was just breezing and galloping, and got five furlongs on the main track in 1:00.00. He worked well and I was very pleased with it. He has not been asked a serious question in the mornings because he is so smart. He cooled out well and here we are.”
Cairo Caper was a $50,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.
His all-time leading earner is Buy Land and See, a multiple stakes winner with eight wins and 15 top three placings from 20 starts, to go along with $578,390 in purse earnings.
Another standout offspring is My Boy Prince, the favourite for Saturday’s King’s Plate, and last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old, who won the 2023 Cup and Saucer Stakes on the E.P. Taylor turf, and recorded Grade 1 placings in the Natalma Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Graded stakes winner Cairo Consort, who Squires trained early on, is another star produced by Cairo Prince.
“I have had luck with Cairo Prince horses,” said Squires. “I go to the sales and look for them because he is a stallion that produces very versatile types.”
Devon Boreland is the groom.
Soaring Free, who lends this stakes his name, was Canada’s Horse of the Year and Outstanding Turf Male in 2004 after capturing the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. The Sam-Son Farm homebred finished a close second in the previous year’s Woodbine Mile and was honoured as Canada’s Outstanding Sprinter.
Field for the Soaring Free Stakes (Race 6)
