‘Torres’ ships north, tries Tapeta

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Torres Del Paine will ship up to Woodbine in search of his first stakes score in Sunday’s Grade 3, $125,000 Grey Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta.

Torres Del Paine will make the journey north from the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland for trainer Graham Motion following a runner-up finish on turf in the Laurel Futurity on Sept. 21. Motion said he felt Torres Del Paine was impacted by stablemate Irish Mias in the Laurel Futurity. Irish Mias drifted in and out in the Laurel Futurity and went on to win the race by a head.

“He was very unlucky in the Futurity, running against my other horse,” Motion said. “He was a little bit hampered by him, to be honest. That’s not exactly what you want when you run an entry in a stake.”

Torres Del Paine will make his first start on a synthetic surface in the Grey, but he has trained over the surface at Fair Hill. He most recently breezed six furlongs in 1:13.00 on Oct. 19.

“He trained on the synthetic, and I don’t know why he wouldn’t handle it,” Motion said. “This seemed like a logical spot. He is keen – tough in the morning. But he’s a very kind horse. He’s just tough to train, but he has plenty of ability.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Torres Del Paine, by Karakontie

Last 3 Beyers: 64-65-30

◗ He was gelded between his starts in the Rick Violette Stakes at Saratoga and the Rosie’s Stakes at Colonial Downs.

“I gelded him between the two races just because he was such a handful in the morning to train,” Motion said.

Muskoka Gold, by Lea

Beyers: 75-56

◗ He finished second in his debut on Sept. 15 before winning the Cup and Saucer Stakes on turf in his most recent start Oct. 6. Trainer Mark Casse has won the Grey Stakes four times.

Chapalu, by Flatter

Beyers: 79-46

◗ He was a 3 3/4-length winner in his last start , which came on the turf on Oct. 6 at Keeneland. Like Torres Del Paine, he will make his synthetic debut in the Grey but has been training over the surface at Fair Hill.

Northern Thunder, by Creative Cause Last 3 Beyers: 64-57-56

◗ He defeated Muskoka Gold on Tapeta two starts back on Sept. 15. He missed the break in his stakes debut in the Cup and Saucer Stakes on Oct. 6, but managed to recover to finish fifth.

Starter allowance for grays

Woodbine is branding Sunday’s card as Grey Day. Prior to the running of the Grey Stakes, Woodbine has carded a starter-allowance event that is restricted to gray or roan horses who have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2018-19. Gray Phantom won this event last season and will look to repeat under jockey Eurico Da Silva. Epilogue will likely vie for favoritism following a narrow runner-up finish in a first-level allowance Oct. 12 on the inner turf course. Other key contenders include Tale of Vienna and Curlin Grey.