Sky Conqueror, Masseuse star in Woodbine stakes

William Sorokolit's homebred SKY CONQUEROR (Sky Classic) stormed down the

center of the turf course to win Sunday's C$698,200

Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf S. (Can-G2) going away, registering his

second consecutive victory in the 1 1/2-mile event. Trained by Darwin Banach,

the talented five-year-old is well on his way to a career-best season, capturing

the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) two starts previously, and Sky Conqueror

bumped his career earnings to $1,956,771 from a 17-7-2-3 line with Sunday's

impressive score.

Last year's Canadian champion turf horse, Sky Conqueror rated near the back

of the eight-horse pack as French Beret (Broad Brush) established the early

tempo in :25 2/5 and :50 3/5. Last Answer advanced to the lead on the far turn

and straightened into the stretch with a clear advantage, registering splits in

1:14 3/5 and 1:38 3/5 for the mile, but Sky Conqueror was clearly going best on

the far outside in midstretch, closing fast with new rider Edgar Prado to seize

control about a furlong from the wire. Sky Conqueror stopped the teletimer over

the firm course in 2:27 2/5.

"There is nothing like it, it is what racing is all about, to have your horse

make a move like that," Banach said.

"I was a very lucky passenger the whole way around," Prado added.

The Ontario-bred winner paid $4.50, $3.20 and $2.30 as the 6-5 favorite.

Marsh Side (Gone West), an 11-1 outsider, got up late to nip Jambalaya (Langfuhr)

for the place and gave back $9.30 and $4.50. Jambalaya yielded $2.70 at 5-2.

Last Answer held fourth by a neck over the 3-1 Obrigado (Fr) (Enrique), and The

Carbon Unit (Catienus), Pellegrino (Brz) (Nugget Point [Ire]) and French Beret

came next.

Sky Conqueror is out of the winning Heavenly Ballerina (Conquistador Cielo)

and counts a 2007 filly as a full sister. Winner of the 2006 King Edward

Breeders' Cup S. (G2), he entered the Northern Dancer off a close second in this

year's edition. The chestnut has placed in three other stakes.

Banach mentioned the Arlington Million (G1) and Sword Dancer Invitational S.

(G1) at Saratoga, both on August 11, as possible targets.

Elser, Nicholson et al's MASSEUSE (Dynaformer) rallied to the lead at the

eighth pole and appeared well on her way to victory in the C$304,900

Dance

Smartly S. (Can-G2), but the action was just beginning in the about 1 1/8-mile

turf affair. May Night (Gulch) and Elle Runaway (El Prado [Ire]) both made a

serious late push for the victory, but Masseuse came out on the right side of

the three-horse photo, hanging on by a nose along the inside. Prado had the mount

for conditioner James Toner.

Arravale (Arch), the 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year and 4-5 favorite in her

seasonal bow, set the pace in :23 4/5 and :47 2/5, but she had no answer when

challenged in upper stretch. Masseuse stalked the pace in midpack before

launching a move off the far turn that carried her to a clear lead in midstretch.

The five-year-old mare held gamely in the late stages, finishing in 1:45

2/5, and returned $6.40, $4.20 and $3.60 as the 2-1 second choice.

May Night, the longest shot in the six-horse field at 13-1, paid $10.30 and

$6.20. Elle Runaway totaled $5.40 after finishing a neck back in third at 9-1.

Scarlet Butterfly (Theatrical [Ire]), Essential Edge (Storm Cat) and Arravale

followed the top three under the wire.

A $35,000 purchase at the 2003 Keeneland September sale, Masseuse raced

sparingly the past two seasons, making only five combined starts, but she now

has four starts under her belt in 2007. The dark bay captured the Beaugay H.

(G3) two starts back and was exiting a runner-up finish in the New York

Breeders' Cup S. (G2). She also placed in the Hillsborough S. (G3) earlier this

year and the 2005 Virginia Oaks. Her bankroll now reads $596,857 from a 12-5-2-2

record. She was bred in Kentucky by Cherry Valley Farm and is out of the winning

Mr. Prospector mare Pedicure, who is also the dam of multiple stakes winner Buff

(Pleasant Tap), stakes victor Second Performance (Theatrical [Ire]), an unnamed

yearling colt by Pleasantly Perfect and a 2007 filly by Forestry.

The undercard included two other stakes races. In the C$138,400

Ontario Matron S., Live Oak Plantation's SHE'S INDY MONEY (A.P. Indy)

notched her first stakes victory with a hard-fought neck decision. Ridden by

Garrett Gomez, the Malcolm Pierce-trained four-year-old filly stalked the pace

before launching her bid on the far turn, and she struck the front in the

stretch and opened a half-length advantage through a mile in 1:37 4/5. Arden

Belle (Dance Brightly) proved to be a determined rival along the outside in the

final sixteenth, dueling with She's Indy Money to the finish before falling just

short. The winner completed 1 1/16 miles over the Polytrack in 1:44 1/5.

Sent off the 9-5 second choice in the six-horse field, She's Indy Money

returned $5.60, $3.30 and $2.80. Arden Belle was good for $4.60 and $3.10 at

nearly 6-1, and Be Envied (Lemon Drop Kid) finished another two lengths back in

third at 6-1 and paid $3.20. Executive Flight (Bold Executive), the 6-5

favorite, checked in fourth. Miss Dorothy (Stormin Fever), who set the pace in

:24 1/5, :48 and 1:12 2/5, came next and was followed by Virginia Plan (Gulch).

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, She's Indy Money sold as a yearling for

$210,000 at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale after RNA'ing for

$325,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August sale. The chestnut lass is the

first foal out of Grade 1 winner Nany's Sweep (End Sweep). Third in the 2005

Blue Hen S., She's Indy Money was exiting a close second in a Woodbine turf

allowance, and she's now earned $244,517 from a 12-5-2-2 line.

Goldmart Farms' GANGSTER (Mutakddim) closed from last to first in the

C$125,400

Bold

Venture S., winning a tight three-horse finish in the final strides. The Sid

Attard trainee registered his first stakes victory in the process, improving his

career mark to 30-8-8-3, $548,955, and the chestnut gelding negotiated 6 1/2

furlongs in 1:16 over the Polytrack with jockey Todd Kabel.

The six-year-old totaled $7, $2.70 and $2.40 as the 5-2 second choice after

nailing 8-5 favorite Just Rushing (Wild Rush), who dueled early through :22 4/5

and :45 1/5 splits before shaking clear in upper stretch, hitting the

six-furlong mark in 1:09 3/5 with a 1 1/2-length advantage. The runner-up paid

$2.80 and $2.20. Museeb (Danzig) offered a furious rally in the final sixteenth,

but he fell a neck short of the place and returned $3.30 for the show at 5-1.

Cool Selection (War Deputy), Disbelief (Not for Love) and Dave the Knave

(Whiskey Wisdom) rounded out the order of finish.

Gangster was bred in the Bluegrass State by Nick Rennekamp and commanded a

winning bid of $10,000 as a 2001 Keeneland November weanling. Out of the Grade

3-winning Twosome (One for All), Gangster has finished second in the last two

running of the Kennedy Road S. at Woodbine and filled the same position in the

2006 Vigil S. (Can-G3). In his previous outing, he recorded a fourth in the

grassy Highlander S. (Can-G3).