Late-running Buium braces for Breeders’ Stakes challenge
And Wicked Django “in great form” ahead of Grand Valley Stakes
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TORONTO, September 24, 2026 – Six 3-year-olds are set to go postward in Saturday’s $400,000 (plus up to $100,000 for eligible Ontario Breds) Breeders’ Stakes, the final jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine.
The final event of the tri-surface series for Canadian-bred sophomores concludes on the E.P. Taylor turf with the longest leg of 1 ½ miles. Luster won the 167th edition of The King’s Plate on Aug. 15 and Military Time took the second jewel in the series, the Prince of Wales Stakes, on Sept. 7.
Multiple stakes placed Buium, named after Vancouver Canucks young star Zeev Buium, arrives at his fifth career stakes engagement off a stellar showing in the Prince of Wales where he finished third, three-quarters of a length behind Military Time in the 1 3/16th-mile race run over the Fort Erie dirt.
“I thought the effort in the Prince of Wales was outstanding,” said Attard. “He came running and running hard and ended up missing by less than a length. Obviously, we would have loved to see him get the win, but when you have a horse in your barn who goes out and gives it all he has all the time, you appreciate that heart and competitiveness every day.”
A homebred for Al and Bill Ulwelling, the son of Uncle Mo out of the multiple stakes placed Whywhywhy mare Lady Haddassah has yet to break his maiden, but has two seconds, four thirds and nine top-four finishes from 10 engagements.
Attard, seeking his first win in the Breeders’, is hoping the gelding, who has shown a penchant for a strong late kick, can break through this weekend at a distance and over a surface that should be right in his wheelhouse.
“When you look at what the race is – on the grass and that long, long stretch – there's every reason to believe a horse who can run all day will appreciate both the course and the distance,” said Attard.
“We know his running style, and we pretty much know what to expect at every point in the race. Hopefully, there is some good early speed that he can run at and then he can unleash that powerful kick.”
Buium debuted at seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor turf on Aug. 16, 2025. After being bumped and checked at the start, the dark bay sat eighth, 11 lengths behind the leader, before an energetic finish that left him fifth (he was subsequently elevated to fourth after an objection was made by Attard and the rider, as well as a stewards’ inquiry), 2 ¾ lengths behind the winner.
He ended his rookie campaign with a pair of thirds, a fourth and off-the-board finish in the Coronation Futurity Stakes in November where he was steadied at the break of the 1 1/8-mile main track feature.
This year, Buium is 0-2-2 from five starts, including three races on the Woodbine main track and one on the inner turf.
“We would love to see him break his maiden in style on Sunday,” said Attard. “He's finished in the top three in six of his races and with the exception of the Coronation Futurity, he's run his typical race.”
“I guess what intrigues us most about this horse is the way he is improving,” said Al Ulwelling. “One thing that we’ve also noticed is that he’s very calm in the barn. He’s a very laid-back horse, and I think that he would love the long stretch of Woodbine. We won the (2021) Prince of Wales with Haddassah, his brother – stallion line – and we figured that if we put a better stallion or more stallion into them, these are the type of races that we wanted to win.
“When we set out for Woodbine racing, our only goal was to win the biggest races at Woodbine. This would definitely be one of them. Winning the King’s Plate (in 2025, with Mansetti) was great, and this would rank right up there with it.”
Attard agrees.
“We (Ulwellings and himself) have been fortunate enough to win a King's Plate (2025, Mansetti) and the Prince of Wales (2023, Velocitor; 2021, Haddassah) together, so to win all three Canadian Triple Crown races would be a dream come true.”
Elaine Bradbury is the groom.
The most recent Triple Crown winner was Wando, who won the 2003 Breeders’ Stakes with jockey Patrick Husbands aboard for trainer Michael Keogh and late owner/breeder Gustav Schickedanz.
Since then, A Bit O’Gold (2004), Pender Harbour (2011) and Tone Broke (2019) also claimed two-thirds of the Triple Crown by taking the last two legs. In 2020, Belichick won the Breeders’, denying stablemate Mighty Heart a Triple Crown sweep.
Recent works: Buium covered four furlongs in :50.40 over the dirt training track on Sept. 19.
“Just a nice maintenance breeze, where we let him stretch his legs,” said Attard. “He’s one of those horses who understands what you ask of him and then goes out and does everything the right way. He’s coming into the race exactly how we want him to.
Fast facts: The longest shot to win the Breeders’ Stakes was Miami Deco in 2010. The Ontario-bred son of Limehouse returned $132.10 for a $2 win bet. Catherine Day Phillips became the first female trainer to win the race courtesy of A Bit O’Gold in 2004. One year later, she was in the winner’s circle again, this time with Jambalaya.
Wagering menu for the Breeders’: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / $1 Swinger.
Field for the Breeders’ Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Bond Market – Xarel Forde – Carlos Grant
2 – Keepmypowderdry – Pietro Moran – Don MacRae
3 – Fire and Wine – Jalon Samuel – Zeljko Krcmar
4 – Katie’s Grace – Ryan Munger – Catherine Day Phillips
5 – Buium – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
6 – Imyourmedicineman – Fraser Aebly – Harold Ladouceur
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
Wicked Django “in great form” ahead of Grand Valley Stakes
TORONTO, September 24, 2026 – Graded stakes winner Wicked Django is all systems go ahead of Sunday’s $150,000 Grand Valley Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf feature for Ontario-bred colts and geldings, 4-year-olds and up.
Trained by Renico Lafond, Wicked Django last appeared on Aug. 30 at Woodbine, where he delivered a hearty runner-up effort to 2023 King’s Plate champion Paramount Prince in the $150,000 Caledon Stakes.
“I was praying somebody went with Paramount Prince, but no one could,” said Lafond. “When I saw the race go :24, I thought, ‘Uh-oh.’
“Prince had no pressure, so I said, ‘Shoot, we’re going to finish second at worst,’ because no one gave him any heat. I told Keveh [Nicholls] just sit and watch. Don’t go after him because you don’t want to deal with him. Let somebody else do it first. So, we ran a game second. A very game second.”
A son of Wicked Strong out of the Flatter mare Belcarres, the 6-year-old bay came out of the Caledon “great,” according to Lafond.
It was a welcome sight for the multiple-stakes-winning conditioner, who was careful with Wicked Django following a second-place finish in his season debut on June 13 at Woodbine.
“After he ran the second, he had a little setback that delayed me a bit,” said Lafond. “I pampered him a little bit – that’s why I ran the seven-furlong race right after the two months of not running.”
For Lafond, the process, and where it would lead, mattered more than the result (fifth) of that seven-furlong allowance contest on Aug. 9 at Woodbine.
“He ran that race, I gave him three weeks to freshen up with no works, then he came out, and ran a big race in the Caledon.”
Wicked Django, who has crafted a 3-4-4 line to go along with $287,847 in total purse earnings across 16 starts, will have had 28 days between the Caledon and Grand Valley.
In that time, the veteran, owned by Ryan Brewster, has checked every box for his conditioner.
“This one [Grand Valley] gave me a month to get him ready, so I gave him a three-week space out, a nice little work, and he worked fantastic,” praised Lafond. “He’s been training great every day. He looks amazing. He’s happy.”
On Sunday, Wicked Django will move from the main track to the E.P. Taylor turf for the Grand Valley and stretch out slightly to 1 1/8 miles from 1 1/16 miles in the Caledon.
“He’s at the right distance, and he’s in great form,” said Lafond. “I’m confident that we have a really good shot this weekend.”
Nicholls, who piloted Wicked Django to a 1 ¼-length victory in the 2024 Autumn Stakes (G2), gets the call for the Grand Valley.
Damian Jones is the groom.
The Grand Valley is the third of four new $150,000 stakes races restricted to Registered Ontario Breds to be contested at Woodbine this season. Introduced in August by the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP), the male/open division of the series kicked off with the Vice Regent Stakes on Aug. 16.
Recent works: Wicked Django’s most recent work came on Sept. 19. He breezed five furlongs over the main track in 1:00.00 flat.
“He worked fantastic, and he’s ready to go,” said Lafond. “I got what I wanted to see. He’s back to himself.”
Wagering menu for the Grand Valley: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 5-6-7) / 0.20 Jackpot Power PK6 (Races 5-6-7-8-9-10) / $1 Swinger
Field for the Grand Valley
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Rapid Test – Austin Adams – Catherine Day Phillips
2 – Wicked Django – Keveh Nicholls – Renico Lafond
3 – Paramount Prince – Fraser Aebly – Mark Casse
4 – Side Street – Jose Campos – Rachel Halden
5 – Faber – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
6 – Naptown – Rafael Hernandez – Jose Magana
7 – Watsonville Red – Pietro Moran – Mike De Paulo
Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine
