Tone Broke stretches for second leg
Overcomes frantic start to claim two-thirds of the Canadian Triple Crown
There’s something about the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes that agrees with Rafael Hernandez.
Hernandez rode Tone Broke to a 11⁄ 2- length victory in the 11⁄ 2- mile turf race Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in 2:30.43. It was Hernandez’s third win in four years in the final jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
And it wasn’t exactly a smooth trip for Hernandez as Tone Broke’s head flew back at the start of his debut on grass.
“He played around a little bit with the head before the start,” Hernandez said. “My gate crew did a great job.
“They tried to straighten him up but they opened the gate so quickly and he just came out with the head high. He gave me a hard time to relax him but by the first furlong he was relaxed good. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Tone Broke stood fourth after a mile and dropped to fifth with a quarter mile to go. However Hernandez said he remained patient coming down the stretch.
“It’s a good thing we have a long stretch,” he said. “All you have to do is be patient.”
“I used my patience and as soon as I put him clear, he did the rest.”
With the victory, Tone Broke, the 2-1second pick, earned twothirds of the Triple Crown after winning l ast month’s $400,0000 Prince of Wales Stakes in Fort Erie, Ont. with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard. Luis Contreras rode Tone Broke to third in the $1million Queen’s Plate on June 29 at Woodbine.
Contreras, a two-time Breeders’ Stakes winner, rode He’s a Macho Man, at 6/1 odds, to second Saturday for the horse’s best finish in the Triple Crown. He’s a Macho Man, trained by Josie Carroll, was fourth in both the Plate and Prince of Wales.
Avie’s Flatter, the 4-5 race favourite also trained by Carroll, was third in Saturday’s ninehorse field. Eurico Rosa da Silva rode Avie’s Flatter on Saturday.
Tone Broke earned his second victory in five starts this season and fourth in 11 career races. The $240,000 winner’s share boosted Tone Broke’s overall earnings past $668,000.
Tone Broke’s first three victories all came on dirt.
Tone Broke paid $6.80, $3.90 and $3. He’s a Macho Man returned $5.90 and $3.70 while Avie’s Flatter paid $2.30.
Darren Fleming, the assistant to winning trainer Steven Asmussen, didn’t think Tone Broke possessed such a strong closing kick.
“I really didn’t, going a mile and a half, to be honest but he proved me wrong,” Fleming said. “It looked like it was going to be a replay of the Queen’s Plate a little where he didn’t want to relax early and Raffi got him to relax and everything went smooth.
“We had a little traffic trouble and my heart was pumping in the turn. But luckily Tone Broke was talented enough to overcome it.”