Highwaytothemoon powers to Queenston Stakes score

07/06/2026

Toronto, June 7, 2026 -Highwaytothemoon paved his own road to the win circle, earning his first career stakes' win, by authoring a wire-to-wire score in Sunday's $125,000 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine.

Ridden by Rafael Hernandez, the son of Ransom The Moon - High Society Gal (Society's Chairman), broke sharply and led the field of six through an opening quarter-mile in 23.06. Thundermaker was 2nd, while post time favourite Military Time stalked inside in 3rd, just off the top pairing. Brachetto was 3 ½ lengths off the top flight in 4th, with longshot Amore Mio in 5th and Believein trailing the field of 6.

The top four remained in the same order through an opening half-mile in 46.45, as Thundermaker loomed outside, off the flank of Highwaytothemoon.

Trained by Dale Desruisseaux, Highwaytothemoon rolled into the stretch, shook clear of Thundermaker, but now braced for the challenge of Military Time, who was closing vigorously in the three-path.

Inside the 1/8th pole, a focused Highwaytothemoon was kept to task by Hernandez and held sway smartly to win the seven-furlong King's Plate prep for three-year-olds foaled in Canada, in a final time of 1:23.25.

Hernandez, Highwaytothemoon's regular rider during his 2-year-old campaign, was reunited with the bay gelding, after riding the Mark Casse-trained Casson to a 1 1/2 length victory over Highwaytothemoon in the 7-furlong King Corrie Stakes on May 17th.

During the Queenston gate load, Highwaytothemoon needed some urging from the gate crew to enter the starting gate.

'Big change from cold to hot now, you know muggy and everything so some horses react like that, but nothing affect the race,' said Hernandez, who is now 3 for 5 aboard Highwaytothemoon

The Queenston win completed a weekend stakes' sweep for Hernandez and Desruisseaux, following their win in Saturday's Fury Stakes with Piper's Gift.

The Queenston is a key prep on the road to the $1,000,000 King's Plate; the 167th edition to be run at Woodbine on Saturday August 15th.

However, Desruisseaux doesn't believe Highwaytothemoon will participate in the 2026 'Gallop for the Guineas.'

"Yeah, I think he's a one-turn kind of horse. Maybe in a perfect world against the right company he gets two-turns, but going against those top horses, he probably doesn't get the distance."

Owned by Centennial Farms Inc., Highwaytothemoon won his lifetime bow at Woodbine last August by 3 1/4 lengths with Hernandez up. He followed with a 3rd place finish in the Simcoe Stakes, and capped his juvenile season, finishing 4th in the Algonquin Stakes.

"I think we did right by the horse, near the end of the year, he got a little bone bruising in his ankles so we put him away, cleaned him up and sent him down to Florida with Slade and Kelly Callaghan," said Desruisseaux. "They did a really good job wintering him for me and came up here in great shape and we're good from there."

Highwaytothemoon opened his 3-year-old campaign, gamely rallying to defeat elders by a neck in a 5 1/2 furlong optional claiming race on April 19th at Woodbine. The King Corrie followed and with Hernandez choosing Casson, Highwaytothemoon (with Pietro Moran up) went off at 10-1, led late, only to be caught in the final yards.

Bred in Ontario by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt & Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Highwaytothemoon was listed at 3-1 on the morning line, went off at those same odds and returned $8.10 for the win. The bay with two white rear socks is now 3-1-1 from 6 starts.

Military Time, the 3-5 favourite was 2nd. Manitoba-bred Brachetto was 3rd and Thundermaker checked in 4th.

Phil McSween, Woodbine Communications

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