Red River Rebel has the momentum

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Red River Rebel moves back to stakes company off a strong comeback race in Sunday’s $100,000 Ontario Jockey Club for older Ontario-sired runners at Woodbine.

A 4-year-old trained by Kevin Attard, Red River Rebel captured the Frost King Stakes here at 2 in 2020 and the Lake Erie Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie last September.

Red River Rebel capped his 2021 campaign on Nov. 27 with a troubled fifth-place finish behind Canadian champion Pink Lloyd in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road, which was run at the six-furlong distance of the Ontario Jockey Club.

Off his Kennedy Road performance, Red River Rebel was bet down to favoritism in his May 20 season opener in a nonwinners-of-three combining Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers. He came from third in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint to win comfortably with a careerhigh 88 Beyer Speed Figure under Justin Stein.

“His race in the Kennedy Road was really good,” Attard recalled. “He got into a little trouble and could have run better. He came in this spring and was working well. Going into the non-three condition, you have to like your chances, and he ran back to that [previous] race and ran well enough to win.”

Attard was content with Red River Rebel’s solo five-furlong breeze in 1:00 last Sunday, when the son of Reload galloped out the three-quarters in a quick 1:12.

“His last work, he went really nicely with Micah Husbands on him,” Attard said. “We’ve been pointing to this race.”

Among the other contenders in the 10-horse field are Candy Overload, Secret Reserve, Last American Exit, and Souper Success.

Candy Overload raced at the rear of the field before closing outside for second behind Red River Rebel in his seasonal bow, from which third-place finisher Nashtrick exited to win at the same level.

Candy Overload shares the same ownership as Red River Rebel – Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stables – and also is by 2020 leading Canadian freshman sire Reload. Keveh Nicholls retains the mount for trainer Krista ColeSimpson, who also owns a part of the 4-year-old.

Secret Reserve is dropping out of the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier, in which he finished a tired seventh in his first outing in 5 1/2 months.

Leading rider Kazushi Kimura takes over on the fast-worker Secret Reserve, who won two restricted sevenfurlong stakes for 3-year-olds last year, the Lake Superior on turf and the Elgin on Tapeta.

Last American Exit shed his reputation as a hanger this spring when beating Ontariosired allowance foes before notching an open first-level allowance in his second crack at that condition.

Souper Success wired $40,000 claimers in his second start off the bench May 19. After breaking from the outside post, he could get the better of Mason’s Gamble in the projected frontend battle.