TORONTO, June 30 – Alpha Bettor and Delegation, separated by a narrow neck in the Grade 2 Eclipse, resume their rivalry in Holiday Monday’s Grade 3 $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes, on Canada Day at Woodbine. Alpha Bettor, trained by Dan Vella for Bulldog Racing, captured the Eclipse off a six-month layoff with a determined stretch run under jockey Justin Stein. A chestnut son of Alphabet Soup, Alpha Bettor enjoyed a solid 2012 campaign posting a record of 2-2-1 from eight starts including a half-length score in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup. Delegation, trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, settled in second position off the early pace of Don Cavallo in the Eclipse, but after taking the lead at the top of the lane could not hold off a surging Alpha Bettor. A bay son of Speightstown, Delegation served up a breakout campaign in 2012 notching four wins, two seconds and two thirds from eight starts including a 1 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Durham Cup. Only River Rush, sixth in the 2012 Queen’s Plate for trainer Reade Baker, and James Street, second to Don Cavallo in the 2011 edition of the Dominion Day, have experience at the 1 1/4-mile distance of Monday’s event. River Rush, a long shot at 20-1 on the morning line, has finished second in two Woodbine starts this season while routing under rider Emma-Jayne Wilson. The bay Orientate colt made waves in his sophomore campaign with an out of the clouds rally to win the Plate Trial. James Street, trained by Josie Carroll for Melnyk Racing Stable Inc., boasts six career wins of which two came last season including a half-length score in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes over Patrioticandproud. James Street finshed third last time out in the Eclipse, just a head behind Delegation. A talented eight-horse field also includes Awesome Overture, Patrioticandproud, Photo Shoot and Perfect Afleet. The Dominion Day Stakes is slated as race 8 on Monday’s 10-race card. Racing fans can watch and wager on the card via HorsePlayer Interactive. FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 DOMINION DAY STAKES POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER / ODDS 1 / Awesome Overture / Jesse Campbell / Paul Attard / 6-1 2 / Alpha Bettor / Justin Stein / Dan Vella / 7-2 3 / Patrioticandproud / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Mark Casse / 8-1 4 / Photo Shoot / Mario Pino / Joseph Cheeks / 15-1 5 / River Rush / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Reade Baker / 20-1 6 / James Street / Gary Boulanger / Josie Carroll / 3-1 7 / Delegation / Luis Contreras / Mark Casse / 7-5 8 / Perfect Afleet / Todd Kabel / Roger Attfield / 10-1 Share This:Share
