Twin City and jockey Gary Boulanger winning the King Corrie Stakes on May 21, 2023, at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
Twin City, Kaukokaipuu looking to use Marine as springboard to King’s Plate
Bill Tallon, for Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
TORONTO, On. – Twin City and Kaukokaipuu both broke through for their first stakes wins at the distance of seven furlongs last out and will be looking to use the Marine as a final stepping-stone to the King’s Plate.
The Plate Trial, a 1 1/8-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be run July 23 but trainers Stuart Simon and Ted Holder plan to bring their respective charges into the King’s Plate off a seven-week break.
Twin City had plenty of experience around two turns last year, graduating in his second start going long and then finishing a strong second in the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity.
Following a winter in Ocala, Twin City returned to action here in the open King Corrie Stakes and prevailed by a scant nose under regular rider Gary Boulanger.
“He came back in March,” said Simon, who also owns Twin City in partnership with Brent, Russ, and Roy McClellan. “He’s a big horse, and he’s always been mentally mature and that’s the good part about him. In the Coronation, he was going good at the end. Distance isn’t an issue.”
Kaukokaipuu, conditioned by Holder for Culpepper Island Syndicate, failed to find the range in seven starts at 2, but did finish second on five occasions and opened up his sophomore campaign with another runner-up effort. His two starts since then have been impeccable, however, as Kaukokaipuu won his maiden in lengthy fashion and then was a smart winner of the Queenston while giving Holder his first career stakes score.
The Marine represents a change in plans for Kaukokaipuu, who was supplemented at a cost of $2,250.
“I was going to go to the Plate Trial, but with this horse as good as he is I decided not to wait,” said Holder, who also had Kaukokaipuu in Florida with a long-term eye toward to the King’s Plate.
“Off his last work, I don’t think the distance will be a problem. It was something special.”
With his new regular partner Rico Walcott aboard, Kaukokaipuu breezed six furlongs last Sunday in 1:12.40.
Velocitor, the Coronation Futurity winner, will be looking to rebound off a seventh-place King Corrie finish with fellow King’s Plate nominees Stayhonor Goodside, One Bay Hemingway and Simcoe also looking to polish their credentials.
American-bred shippers Turf King (IRE), who is sure to attract serious support with New York-based trainer Chad Brown and Woodbine’s leading rider Kazushi Kimura in his corner, and Kentucky invader Midnight Rising complete the lineup.
FIELD FOR THE $150,000 GRADE 3 MARINE
PP – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – One Bay Hemingway – Luis Contreras – Sid Attard
2 – Velocitor – Patrick Husbands – Kevin Attard
3 – Stayhonor Goodside – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
4 – Kaukokaipuu – Rico Walcott – Ted Holder
5 – Turf King (IRE) – Kazushi Kimura – Chad Brown
6 – Twin City – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon
7 – Midnight Rising – Reylu Gutierrez – Jordan Blair
8 – Simcoe – Rafael Hernandez – Katerina Vassilieva
