Gives trainer Attard back-to-back stakes wins on Plate Day (Michael Burns)
Dave Briggs/Woodbine Communications
TORONTO — On Wednesday, trainer Kevin Attard said he was hoping for a big weekend after his barn had gone a bit cold of late. On Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack, Attard won the $1 million King’s Plate with Mansetti and the $200,000 Grade 2 bet365 King Edward Stakes with Gas Me Up in back-to-back races.
Gas Me Up was ridden to victory by Flavien Prat in the one mile race on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course for 3-year-olds and older. The 5-year-old gelded son of Hard Spun out of the Smart Strike mare Chic Thrill edged Wyoming Bill by three-quarters of a length in 1:33.85 in what was something of a six-horse calvary charge to the wire in the field of nine (after the scratch of #5 Dresden Row).
Sent off at 5-2, Gas Me Up paid $7.40.
“This is a nice horse,” Attard said. “He was a little bit plagued by some issues earlier in his career and now he’s been able to get in a bit of a rhythm and he’s showing his talent.
“We’re glad now that he’s healthy and doing really well… He really has an affinity for this E.P. Taylor course, which is a little sad now that he’s not going to see it again for a while [while it is under construction to make improvements set to begin Aug. 18].”
Off for all of 2023, Gas Me Up is now 2-0-0 in three starts this year and 8-5-3 in 35 lifetime outings for owners Exline-Border Racing LLC, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy and Tom Zwiesler. The gelding was bred by Sam-Son Farm and purchased for $140,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Gas Me Up has now earned $163,694 this year and $279,389 lifetime.
The King Edward is the leading local prep for the Grade 1 $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13.
