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Tesseron looking to defend title as Turf Endurance Series kicks off Sunday

July 1, 2018

TORONTO, July 1, 2018 – Tesseron, winner of last year’s inaugural turf endurance series at Woodbine, will be looking to get a leg up on a repeat as he heads an overflow field of 15 in Sunday’s opening leg at 1 3/8 miles.

With two wins, a second and a third from the four legs of the series last season, Tesseron finished with 32 points based on the scale of 10-7-5-3-2 for the top five finishers in each race. Horses finishing lower than fifth will earn 1 point.

PHOTO: Tesserson (inside grey horse) battling Major Production in the final leg of the 2017 Turf Endurance Series on October 22, 2017 at Woodbine. (Michael Burns Photo)

As the series champion, Tesseron earned a bonus of $15,000 for his trainer, Harold Ladouceur, and $25,000 for his owner Kirk Sutherland.

The series is open to 3-year-olds and upward who have started who have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in the last two seasons or for a claiming price of $45,000.

The remaining legs will be run over 1 ½ miles on August 5, 1 5/8 miles on September 9, and 2 ¼ miles, the longest distance run at the meeting, on October 14. Each of those legs also will be worth $50,000.

The participation bonus, for horses finishing sixth or lower, will be $1,200. A free lunch for four will be offered to all connections on the day of the races.

Tesseron, now 8 year old, was unplaced in two starts for trainer Rick Wise at Turf Paradise this March. The Kentucky-bred returned to Ladouceur this spring and has worked very well on the turf training course for this return to action.

Patrick Husbands picks up the mount on Tesseron, who will carry top weight of 121 pounds.

Sine Metu also competed in all four races of last year’s series, finishing second in the middle legs and third in the finale. The 7-year-old gelding was a private purchase this spring and now races for owner/trainer Julie Belhumeur.

Major Production, an ultra-marathoner, defeated Tesseron by a neck in last year’s series finale.

Trained by Steve Philpott, the 8-year-old gelding was recording his second straight win at the 2 ¼ mile distance there, having captured a starter allowance over Presque Isle’s Tapeta surface in his previous start.

Omar Moreno picks up the mount on Major Production, who was well-beaten over a mile of turf in his 2017 opener and was unable to enter contention when seventh behind Tesseron in last year’s second leg.

Kaigun, who did not compete in the series last year, is a stakes winner of almost $1.5 million who will take a lot of beating here.

A stakes winner of close to $1.5 million, Kaigun won two Grade 2 stakes and finished second in two Grade 1’s including the 2014 Woodbine Mile.

Now 8 years old, Kaigun was claimed by from a winning effort for $40,000when making his seasonal bow over one mile of turf here May 27.

Less than two weeks later, Kaigun swung back to finish fifth when tagged for $62,500 when tagged for $62,500 in an allowance/optional claiming race over the unfavorable distance of six furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf course.

Luis Contreras picks up the mount on Kaigun, who will run for the $45,000 tag.

PP/Horse/Jockey/Trainer
1/Tesseron/Patrick Husbands/Harold Ladouceur
2/ Sine Metu/Simon Husbands/Julie Belhumeur
3/U S Marshall/Slade Callaghan/Ian Black
4/J M R Silent Sam/Andemar Santos/Saul McHugh
5/ Milwaukee Flash/Jeffrey Alderson/Amber Mayers
6/Major Production/Omar Moreno/Steve Philpott
7/Bold Animaux/Alan Garcia/Kevin Attard
8/Malibu Wood/Kazushi Kimura/Norm McKnight
9/Money Talker/Eurico Rosa da Silva//Norm McKnight
10/Kaigun/Luis Contreras/Anthony Adamo
11/The Other Breeze/Gary Boulanger/Sandy McPherson
12/Mick the Conqueror/David Moran/Michael Doyle
13/Artistico/Rafael Hernandez/Sylvain Pion
14/Guitar George/Mark Buchanan/Bob Tiller
Also eligible
15/Vitium/Chris Husbands/Teresa Connelly
16 / I Got the Boy / Gary Boulanger / Eoin Harty

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