Vincent Cheminaud guides #14 Truly Quality to victory in the HPI bet Singspiel Stakes. (Woodbine/ Michael Burns Photo)
Bill Tallon, for Woodbine Communications
TORONTO, Ont. – Truly Quality, rallying from well back after breaking from the outside post in the field of 13 under rider Vincent Cheminaud, was along in time for a three-quarter length victory in an exciting running of Saturday’s $175,000 HPIbet Singspiel Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine.
A homebred racing for George Strawbridge, Jr.’s Augustin Stable and trained by Jonathan Thomas, Truly Quality was making his graded stakes debut in the Singspiel but was the 9-5 favourite on the strength of his excellent current form capped out by a last-out victory in the 1 ½ mile Colonial Cup over 1 ½ miles of firm going at Colonial Downs.
“I had a bad draw today, so he was very lazy,” said Cheminaud. “When I pushed him a little bit, he gave me a good answer and took the beat for the end. He’s a nice horse. He was the best today.”
Eyes On the King, breaking from post 11, assumed command early in the Singspiel and led the field through fractions of :24.97, :50.03, 1:15.28 and 1:40.09 with last-out Niagara Stakes winner Lac Macaza pressing just outside.
Highland Chief (IRE), Stone Age (IRE), Dancin in Da’nile and English Conqueror were all beginning to launch their bids around the final turn, however, and with a furlong to run it was Highland Chief in front by a head following an inside trip.
Truly Quality had found his best stride by this point and simply was too much for his game rivals.
English Conqueror prevailed in the battle for second money, ending a half-length to the good of Stone Age.
Dancing in Da’nile finished another 1 ½ lengths back in fourth, edging Highland Chief by a head as the winner stopped the clock in :2:17.47.
Lac Macaza finished sixth with Eyes On the King, Palazzi, Like the King, Spinzar, Eldon’s Prince, Dun Drum and Malibu Mambo completed the order of finish.
Palazzi, the defending champion in the Singspiel, took late money and went off as the second choice at 7-2.
Loose Wire was scratched.
Truly Quality, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old gelding by Quality Road out of the Smart Strike mare, Truly Together, now has won four of 12 outings while finishing off the board only once.
Thomas, who also saddled 2021 Singspiel winner Corelli, lauded Truly Quality’s performance.
“We threw out the game plan because, it depended on how he broke,” said Thomas. “But I will say I was concerned about 90 percent of the race, but Vincent did a good job of not panicking, breaking a little slow, letting him gather some steam. I thought the horse overcame a pretty, pretty tough situation.
“I’d love to talk to the Strawbridges about maybe taking a real swing and going to Breeders’ Cup and then giving him the winter off and really trying to make him a Grade 1 horse.”
