‘He just loves the game’: Cruden Bay chases Overskate victory

TORONTO, October 23, 2025 – Multiple graded stakes winner Cruden Bay, trained by Don MacRae for owner Michael Lay, faces six foes in Sunday’s $100,000 Overskate Stakes, a 7 ½-furlong inner turf feature for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and up, at Woodbine.

Sporting a record of 8-9-2 from 26 career starts, along with $551,691 in purse earnings, Cruden Bay has been a model of consistency for his connections since a winning debut on November 14, 2020, at Woodbine.

From May 13, 2022, to July 20, 2024, a span of 18 races, he was 6-9-1.

“I think the two times he finished outside of the top three, he should have been in the top three,” said MacRae. “He had a tough trip when he was fourth in the Steady Growth two years ago and he was fifth in a main track race the year before. He truly is the epitome of consistency.

“He just loves the game. He loves the barn, he loves the action, he loves to train, he loves people, and he loves to race. That’s the bottom line – he loves the game.”

The 7-year-old son of Big Screen out of the Bold Executive mare Executive Affair contested his first stakes race, the 2023 edition of the Overskate, three years after his career bow.

His last five starts have all come in graded events, four of them Grade 2 events and one Grade 3 fixture, which has yielded a 2-1-0 record. Both victories in that stretch came in the Connaught Cup (G2T), at seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf.

Cruden Bay’s most recent test, the Vigil Stakes (G3), produced a third-place result.

“I thought it was a very solid effort,” said MacRae. “I thought Fraser (jockey, Aebly) gave him a great ride.” ​

Cruden Bay posted a pair of four-furlong breezes over the main track ahead of his fourth start of the campaign, including a :48.20 move on October 18.

“He always does his job. That last work, I had to give a 2-year-old some schooling experience, so I breezed Cruden Bay outside of Hemlo Gold and put the 2-year-old in behind. Fraser (Aebly) gave me a good laugh. He said when the 2-year-old came up beside Cruden Bay, he shrugged at him and more or less spooked the 2-year-old for a few strides.”

MacRae knows exactly what to expect from his veteran on race day – and in the winner’s circle.

“When he comes over, for the most part, he is very smart, calm and collected. He does have his moments where he swells up a bit, but he has a lot of class about him, and he knows what he has to do.

“There is just so much to like about this guy. And when he does win, he knows it. When I was younger, we had standardbreds, and there was one mare, she won a qualifier, and she knew she had won it. The good ones will stand at the front of their stall for a few days after they win.”

MacRae has also seen Cruden Bay grow his fan base over the years.

“He has gathered a little following of people who like him and cheer for him. And that is pretty cool to see in this day and age. He might fly under the radar compared to some of the big names, but to see people appreciate him and root for him means a lot.”

Bred in Ontario by Spring Farm, Cruden Bay was a $45,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2019 CTHS Canadian-bred Yearling Sale.

Diego Kellman is the groom.

His rivals include Awesome Bourbon, a 5-year-old son of Not Bourbon out of the Sea The Stars (IRE) mare Sea The Awesome (IRE).

The multiple stakes placed bay is 6-6-3 from 19 starts and has bankrolled $278,560 in purse earnings.

Trained by Abraham Katryan for owner Carlo D’Amato, Awesome Bourbon, third in last year’s Overskate, heads into his third lifetime stakes appearance in top form.

A winner of his past three starts – all on the Woodbine inner turf, two of them at 7 ½ panels – Awesome Bourbon will make his ninth start of the year on Sunday.

His most recent victory, on September 28, came in the form of a two-length score at 7 ½ furlongs.

“He is a very nice horse and I think he is awesome,” said Katryan, who has 669 career victories, including 31 at the stakes level. “I was very amazed at his last race, just the way he did it. He is just improving every day and living up to the expectations that he displays in the mornings.

“He’s fast. If you let him go, he will go as fast as he can and won’t stop that easily. But in that last race, Rafael (jockey, Hernandez) let him relax a little bit, sat just off the pace and then came charging.”

Awesome Bourbon, bred by Charles Fipke, broke his maiden in his fifth start, taking a six-furlong main track race by 1 ¾ lengths at Woodbine on August 14, 2022.

He was third in his first stakes race, the Bull Page, run on the E.P. Taylor turf, on September 24, 2022.

Awesome Bourbon breezed five furlongs in :59.00 over the main track – the fastest of 19 works at the distance that morning – ahead of the Overskate.

“He breezed amazing,” said Katryan. “He’s great. He doesn’t give us any issues at all. He’s a colt, but he doesn’t act like one. He just acts like a good horse. Whether it’s the mornings or afternoons, he’s always ready. And he’s got his game face on whenever he goes into the gate.”

Awesome Bourbon was a $27,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale. ​

The race is named after the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame son of Nodouble, who raced a total of 42 times and won on 24 occasions, 18 of those victories coming in stakes races. Trained by Gil Rowntree for Jack Stafford, Overskate was voted champion two-year-old in Canada in 1977. Then, in 1978, he was named champion three-year-old colt and Horse of the Year. He repeated his Horse of the Year title in 1979. In addition to those Sovereign Awards, Overskate was named champion grass horse in Canada in 1978, ’79 and ’80.

First post is at 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.

The wagering menu for the race includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10), 0.20 Pick 4 (Races 8-9-10-11) and $1 Swinger.

Field for the Overskate Stakes – Race 8

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Hunt Master (S) – Jeffrey Alderson – Martin Hinckson

2 – Awesome Bourbon – Rafael Hernandez – Abraham Katryan

3 – Phillip My Wine – Pietro Moran – Mark Casse

4 – Cruden Bay – Fraser Aebly – Don MacRae

5 – Rapid Test – Austin Adams – Catherine Day Phillips

6 – No More Options – Slade Jones – Zeljko Krcmar

7 – Society’s Thunder – Jose Campos – Dominic Polsinelli

Chris Lomon, Woodbine