Flag Of Honour (AUS) faces 10 foes in Grade 2 Nearctic / bet365 Algonquin Stakes: Motion hopes Sharedashenanigans is all business, Buntain believes in Unbridled Weather
TORONTO, October 2, 2024 – Multiple graded stakes winner Flag Of Honour (AUS) takes on 10 rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2 $250,000 Nearctic Stakes Presented by The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, at Woodbine.
The six-furlong event for 3-year-olds and upward, to be contested over the E.P. Taylor course, will mark the fifth consecutive stakes appearance for the 5-year-old son of American Pharoah-Godiva Rock (AUS).
Trained by Julia Carey, Flag of Honour finished an uncharacteristic seventh in his previous start on July 20, the Grade 2 Connaught Cup, run at seven furlongs over good going on the E.P. Taylor.
“We are just going to put a line through that race,” said the multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner. “It just didn’t go right for him, so we decided to give him a little break and then bring him back. We had thought about running him in the (Grade 3) Vigil (Sep. 14), but I thought it was a little short, preparation-wise, so we waited for this race.”
One race prior, Flag Of Honour took top prize in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes, an impressive 1 ¼-length score at six panels over the Woodbine main track on June 1.
“It was a very nice win,” said Carey. “He showed a lot of determination throughout the race.”
In his North American debut on Oct. 29, 2023, the gelding was third in an allowance race at six furlongs over the Toronto oval main track.
His first graded success came next time out, on Nov. 18, in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road.
“That was very impressive,” praised Carey. “It was a challenge getting him there last year. We had him come over from Australia and we were so lucky the allowance race filled, which meant we had a race under our belt heading into the Kennedy Road. So, in a sense, that win was the most rewarding.”
Owned by R.M. Wanless and Mrs. J.M. Wanless, Flag Of Honour launched his career in 2022 with a pair of victories on the turf, one at Newcastle, the other at Rosehill, and went on to post a 3-0-0 record from six starts overseas.
“When he got to Woodbine and I saw him for the first time, I noticed he was very muscular with quite a big head. He had a very kind and intelligent eye to him. He was, of course, very tired from travelling all over the world, but he just came to hand so quickly and is so very professional. They did such an amazing job training him there. He’s just a lovely, class horse.”
A $330,391 (U.S.) purchase at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Flag Of Honour was bred by Mr. G. Harvey.
Gary Sutherland is the groom and Terry Husbands is the exercise rider.
Other starters include multiple graded stakes winners Patches O’Houlihan, and War Bomber (IRE), Soaring Free Stakes winner First Empire, Karl Boyes Stakes winner Let My People Go, and graded stakes placed I’m A Gambler (IRE).
Field for the Grade 2 Nearctic (Race 9)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Dhabab (IRE) – Ryan Munger – Edward Vaughan
2 – Outlaw Kid – Sahin Civaci – George Weaver
3 – First Empire – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
4 – Let My People Go – Walter Rodriguez – Victoria Oliver
5 – Patches O’Houlihan – Sofia Vives – Robert Tiller
6 – I’m A Gambler (IRE) – David Moran – Kevin Attard
7 – Bal a Kazoo – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Robert Gorham
8 – Caroline Street – Declan Cannon – Brendan Walsh
9 – Flag Of Honour (AUS) – Julien Leparoux – Julia Carey
10 – War Bomber (IRE) – Rafael Hernandez – Norm McKnight
11 – Bring Theband Home – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
bet365 Algonquin Stakes: Motion hopes Sharedashenanigans is all business, Buntain believes in Unbridled Weather
TORONTO, October 2, 2024 – Saturday’s $175,000 bet365 Algonquin, which covers five furlongs on Woodbine’s inner turf, has attracted eight 2-year-olds, including Graham Motion pupil Sharedashenanigans.
A $500,000 (U.S.) purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale, Sharedashenanigans debuted on June 22 at five panels over the main track at Laurel Park and posted a 1 ¼-length score as the 3-5 choice.
“We thought she would run well,” said Motion, who has 2,765 career wins as of October 1. “She is not a big filly, but she is a pretty forward type, a precocious 2-year-old type, so we would have been disappointed had she not run well, even though we were running on her the dirt when we felt she was probably going to be more of a grass filly.”
A daughter of Into Mischief, Sharedashenanigans, owned by Flying Dutchman, arrives at her latest test – and first appearance at Woodbine – off a sixth in the Rosie’s Stakes, over 5 ½ furlongs on the Colonial Downs outer turf, on Sep. 7.
“There were very limited opportunities to run a 2-year-old filly five-eighths again,” noted Motion. “We ended up going to Colonial, which I thought was a very tough spot.
“This race won’t be easy, but at least she’s now had better preparation – it was so long between races last time.”
Sharedashenanigans is the first foal out of Maryland-bred Grade 1-winning star Sharing.
Sharing recorded more than $1 million in purse earnings, winning five of nine starts for Motion, including the 2019 Selima at Laurel and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita. In 2020, Sharing triumphed in the Edgewood (G2) and Tepin at Churchill Downs and was runner-up in the Coronation (G1) at Royal Ascot.
“The whole family has been amazing for us, so it is no doubt a special family for us,” said Motion.
Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD., Sharedashenanigans has had a series of works over the all-weather training surface at Fair Hill (Maryland) ahead of Saturday’s race, including a four-furlong breeze in :50.80 on Sep. 28.
“We just went very easy with her. She tends to overdo it if we are not careful, so we try to go steady with her.”
Motion likes what he sees ahead of the Algonquin.
“We have always liked her. The whole family, they are all very professional, very workmanlike, they all get on with their business.”
Emma-Jayne Wilson will be in the irons on Saturday.
Owned by Pier 1 Stables, Unbridled Weather finished second, at 42-1, in his debut, a 6 ½-furlong sprint on the E.P. Taylor on Aug. 24.
One race later, the Angus Buntain trainee battled gamely to the wire in the seven-furlong Bull Page Stakes, also on the E.P. Taylor, on Sep. 15.
“I suppose he is fairly modestly bred, but he has surprised me from day one,” said Buntain. “I never expected him to run as well as he did in his maiden race, and he ran much better than I thought he would in the Bull Page. He has outrun expectations and been a very pleasant surprise.”
Buntain was also caught off guard the day after Unbridled Weather was purchased for the modest sum of $9,000 (CDN) at the 2023 CTHS Ontario Premier Yearling Sale.
“Here is the interesting part – I never even looked at the horse with the owner at the sale. The owner literally bought him on his own. It was a complete surprise to me. He called me the next day and said, ‘By the way, Angus, I purchased Hip No. 167.'
“I had never looked at him or saw him prior to him being purchased. You have to give credit to the owner for buying him.”
Both are hoping for Unbridled Weather to go one better on Saturday.
“The very best part of his two races was the heart that he showed. When he got passed in both races, he dug in and tried, rather than just packing it in like a lot of young horses do in those situations. His best attribute, to me, is his heart. He wants to do it, he wants to be a racehorse, he wants to compete – you can’t train that into them. They either have it, or they don’t, and he seems to have it. I am very happy to have him in the barn.”
He breezed over the Woodbine main track on Sep. 28, covering five furlongs in 1:01.80.
“This guy has grown physically and mentally, which you can see in the mornings and afternoons. He’s very mature, mentally. He’s very calm and manageable. A five-year-old could groom and handle him – he is that kind and gentle in the barn.
“Physically, from when he came in around March, he has grown a significant amount. He has blossomed into a robust horse. It was a nice transformation to see.”
The groom is Anthony Cirillo.
First post for Saturday’s live card is 1:10 p.m. Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet.com or bet365.
Field for the bet365 Algonquin Stakes (Race 5)
Post - Horse - Jockey - Trainer
1 – Sharedashenanigans – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Graham Motion
2 – Bullet – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
3 – Pop Rox (S) – Jose Campos – Steven Chircop
4 – Mensa – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
5 – Mi Bago – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
6 – Dare to Breeze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
7 – Unbridled Weather – Fraser Aebly – Angus Buntain
8 – French Horn (S) – Sofia Vives – Mark Casse
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
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