Flag Of Honour (AUS) set for Grade 2 bet365 Connaught Cup test
TORONTO, July 18, 2024 – Multiple graded stakes winner Flag Of Honour (AUS) looks to add to an already impressive racing resume in Saturday’s $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T), at Woodbine.
The seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds and upward, to be contested over the E.P. Taylor course, has drawn eight hopefuls, including Flag Of Honour.
Trained by Julia Carey, the 5-year-old son of American Pharoah-Godiva Rock (AUS) heads into his latest engagement off a tremendous 1 ¼-length triumph in the Jacques Cartier (G3), run at six furlongs on the Woodbine all-weather track, on June 1.
“He did it on the front end when he usually does his running from off the pace,” said the multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner. “Normally, he doesn’t go the front, but he did in that race, and he did it all very comfortably.”
It was the fifth career victory, to go along with a second and a third from 10 starts for Flag Of Honour, who earned his second graded stakes triumph.
“He seems to be coming into the race in good order,” said Carey, of the bay who posted a hard-fought nose score in last year's Kennedy Road (G2). “I missed the (G2T) Highlander (run on June 9) on purpose because I didn’t want to dance every dance. He ran so hard in the Jacques Cartier, so we wanted to space it out properly for him.
“This will be his first time on the turf here at Woodbine, but he fared well over the turf at other racetracks before he came to us.”
Owned by R.M. Wanless and Mrs. J.M. Wanless, Flag Of Honour launched his career in 2022 with a pair of wins on the grass, one at Newcastle, the other at Rosehill, and went on to post a 3-0-0 record from six starts overseas.
In his North American debut, on October 29, 2023, the gelding was third at six furlongs over the Toronto oval all-weather course.
“He’s like a bull out there, just a real racehorse in every sense,” Carey said earlier in the year.
Gary Sutherland is the groom and Terry Husbands is the exercise rider.
“Both Gary and Terry have played an instrumental role in this horse’s development,” said Carey. “It has been a true team effort that has gone into his success.”
With regular rider Kazushi Kimura having recently moved his tack to California, Emma-Jayne Wilson, who recently went into the record books as the highest earning female jockey of all-time, will get the call on Saturday.
A $330,391 (U.S.) purchase at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Flag Of Honour was bred by Mr. G. Harvey.
“He is such a nice horse," said Carey. "He is special for us.”
Hall of Fame jockey Robin Platts has won a record eight editions of the Connaught, including back-to-back runnings (1968-69) with James Bay. Plate Glass won the two first runnings, in 1912 and 1913.
In other Saturday stakes action, eight fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, will travel 1 1/16 miles on the main track in the $135,000 Trillium Stakes presented by Don Julio (G3).
Graded stakes-placed Ocean Club, trained by Jack Sisterson, will make her first start outside of the U.S.
The 4-year-old daughter of Curlin, bred and owned by Glen Hill Farm, sports a record of 4-3-1 from 12 starts, to go along with $246,420 in career purse earnings.
Ocean Club heads into the Trillium off a fifth in the Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth on June 15.
“I’m really looking forward to riding Ocean Club,” said jockey Sofia Vives, who gets the call on Saturday. “She’s an honest filly who is undefeated on synthetic. I’m very grateful to Glen Hill Farm for the opportunity. Hopefully, we can keep her synthetic streak alive.”
Other starters include graded stakes placed Five Towns (GB), Mark Casse duo Solo Album and Forever Dixie, as well as a pair of Kevin Attard trainees, Ro Town and Fashionably Fab.
Also on tap Saturday is the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes.
Seven 3-year-olds, foaled in Canada, will tackle 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
The race, a key prep on the road to The King’s Plate (August 17), includes multiple stakes winner My Boy Prince.
My Boy Prince, the $115,000 sale-topper at the 2022 CTHS Ontario Canadian premier yearling sale, ran second in his debut last May for owner Gary Barber and dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.
One race after a six-length maiden-breaking score at five furlongs, the grey posted a head-turning 14-length triumph in the 6 ½-furlong Simcoe Stakes on August 27.
Second in the Summer Stakes (G1T) in September, My Boy Prince was back in the winner’s circle courtesy of a 4 ¼-length victory in the Cup and Saucer Stakes, at 1 1/16 miles over the E.P. Taylor turf.
The son of Cairo Prince then closed the curtain on his rookie campaign with a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile en route to being crowned Canada’s champion 2-year-old male.
After an eighth in the Palisades Stakes at Keeneland to launch his 2024 season, My Boy Prince returned to Woodbine and recorded triumphs in the King Corrie Stakes and most recently, the Queenston Stakes.
“He didn’t grow a lot,” offered Casse. “He’s just a plain-looking horse who runs really fast.”
Bred in Ontario by Murray Graham Smith, the colt is 5-2-1 from nine career starts, to go along with $539,520 in purse earnings.
First post time on Saturday is 1:05 p.m. Fans can also wager on all the action via HPIbet.com or bet365.com.
Field for the Grade 2 $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup (Race 8)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Flag of Honour (AUS) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Julia Carey
2 – Cruden Bay – Sofia Vives – Don MacRae
3 – War Bomber (IRE) – Rafael Hernandez – Norm McKnight
4 – Ironstone – Ryan Munger – William Armata
5 – First Empire – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
6 – Capture the Lion (S) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
7 – Not Normal – David Moran – Conor Murphy
8 – Saratoga Flash – Edgard Zayas – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Field for the Grade 3 $135,000 Trillium Stakes Presented by Don Julio (Race 7)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Five Towns (GB) – Rafael Hernandez – Graham Motion
2 – Solo Album – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
3 – Ro Town – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Tito’s Calling – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mike De Paulo
5 – Fashionably Fab – Pietro Moran – Kevin Attard
6 – Ocean Club – Sofia Vives – Jack Sisterson
7 – Batucada – Edgard Zayas – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
8 – Forever Dixie (S) – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
Field for the $150,000 Plate Trial (Race 6)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Beautiful Sky (S) – Fraser Aebly – Mike De Paulo
2 – No More Options – Edgard Zayas – Zeljko Krcmar
3 – Jokestar – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
4 – Piper’s Factor – Patrick Husbands – Katerina Vassilieva
5 – My Boy Prince – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
6 – Friendly Ghost – Justin Stein – Evette Chartrand-Hoek
7 – Rafaroo – Ryan Munger – Harold Ladouceur
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
.jpg "Flag of Honour (AUS) and jockey Kazushi Kimura winning the Jaques Cartier Stakes on June 1, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)")
