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Ride a Comet leads Casse exacta in Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes

November 21, 2020

TORONTO, November 21, 2020 – Mark Casse trainees Ride a Comet and Souper Stonehenge swept the Kennedy Road Stakes exacta on Saturday at Woodbine, ending the win streak of reigning three-time champion male sprinter Pink Lloyd.

Patrick Husbands engineered the winning trip aboard the 5-2 second choice, Ride a Comet, who is now two-for-two since returning to action last month after a two-year layoff.

Multiple graded stakes winner Silent Poet sprinted out to lead the talented field of seven in the six-furlong Grade 2 stakes with Eskiminzin pressing through fractions of :22.77 and :44.79, while Souper Stonehenge and Dixie’s Gamble stalked the pace.

Riding a 10-race win streak, even-money favourite Pink Lloyd raced outside of foes and staged a late rally from the four-path on the turn, but early trailer Ride a Comet gained ground along the rail and shot outside the front-runners in the stretch en route to a 1-1/4-length victory, with Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Stonehenge finishing second under Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Owned by breeder My Meadowview Farm and John Oxley, the five-year-old son of Candy Ride and Appealing Zophie came within one-fifth of a second of Pink Lloyd’s track record, winning in 1:08.25.

Ride a Comet paid $6.90 to win and combined with 9-1 shot Souper Stonehenge for a 2-1 exacta worth $50.30 for a $2 ticket. Pink Lloyd was a game third, finishing two lengths behind the runner-up and just ahead of Silent Poet. Eskiminzin, Roaring Forties and Dixie’s Gamble completed the field.

Ride a Comet and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the $175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (Grade 2) on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)
Ride a Comet and jockey Patrick Husbands winning the $175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (Grade 2) on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)

“He’s my favourite horse of all time…He went a good race, he showed he’s all class,” said Husbands, who was aboard for all four of Ride a Comet’s Woodbine starts including his impressive two-length comeback victory here on October 16.

“The last time I rode him, it was the first time we sprint and his first time in two years going seven-eighths. And he broke sharp, you know, and I eased him back because it was his first time in a long time so after the race I said to Mark, ‘he left there running and I eased him back.’ He said ‘alright, we’re going against Pink Lloyd next start.’

“Pink Lloyd, you have to respect him. He’s a legend at Woodbine, and it’s a great honour to run against him and try to beat him. When you beat him, you’ve got to be really happy, but you have to respect him.”

Ride a Comet, who also won the Charlie Barley Stakes over one-mile of turf at Woodbine in 2018 with Husbands and the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby over 1-1/8 miles later that year, now has seven wins from a dozen lifetime starts.

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