Tough-as-nails Tesseron is crowned Turf Endurance Series champion

After a third-place performance and a pair of strong scores in the opening rounds of the popular points-based series (that expanded in distance, with each leg contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course), Tesseron was guaranteed the crown as Woodbine Turf Endurance Series champion, an honour that is also accompanied by a $15,000 bonus and trophy.

On Sunday, the grey was game in defeat in the $59,520 curtain-closer.

Cosmic Charlie seized the lead quickly, with Tesseron just to his outside, as the duo took their four rivals through a moderate early pace.

As Wilson and mutuel favourite Tesseron turned up the heat around the final turn and then took control, Eurico Rosa da Silva and Major Production were launching their bid. The duo duked it out down the long stretch with the latter prevailing by a neck​ in a time of 4:01.69 over a ‘firm’ turf.

Major Production, second choice on the toteboard, paid $9.10 for the win.

With today’s second-place effort, Tesseron, a son of Tapit, racked up 32 points for trainer Harold Ladouceur and owner Kirk Sutherland. Sine Metu, who finished third today, was second in the standings with 20 points.

Entwistle took the first leg, a 1 3/8-mile test on July 22. Tesseron triumphed on August 19 in the 1 ½-mile second leg, then made it back-to-back series wins with an authoritative five-length romp at 1 5/8-miles on September 23.

Claimed for $16,000 from his June 10 start at the Toronto oval by Sutherland, Tesseron has finished in the top three in all five of his subsequent starts, including a smart victory at 1-1/16 miles on June 23 over the Tapeta track.

Bred in Kentucky by Magalen Bryant, Tesseron has won six of his 26 races lifetime. He boasts four wins, one second and a pair of thirds from eight starts on the campaign.