Yorkton became Speightstown’s 81st lifetime stakes winner on Saturday with an impressive, 3 1/2-length, front-running score in the $125,000 Queenston S. at Woodbine.
The race is a traditional prep for the Grade 1 Queen’s Plate, but his trainer Simon Stuart said the 3-year-old colt would likely stay at the shorter distances, similar to the seven-furlong Queenston.
“I think we just kind of made a decision that we figure he probably is a sprinter,” said Simon after Saturday’s victory. “We don’t want to discourage him and we want him to progress in the right fashion. We’ll see how things go and take it from here.”
Yorkton wasted little time asserting his authority, as he made his way to the front and over to the rail from post six. Without any serious pressure, Yorkton never let any of his foes within a length through the first half-mile, then opened up in the stretch to complete the seven furlongs in 1:22.27 on the synthetic track.
“He’s wonderful,” said winning rider Eurico Rosa da Silva. “In this business, we all work hard to get a horse like him. I’m very, very lucky and blessed to ride a horse like this. He was running very, very relaxed. He ran a relaxed race. When I turned for home, I just kicked and he exploded home. I have a lot of faith in this horse. He was very relaxed in every way and inside the gate. He ran wonderfully.”
Yorkton, a Chiefswood Stable homebred, is now 2-0-2 in seven starts and has earned $100,854. His dam Sunday Affair is out of Million Gift (JPN), who is a half-sister to Hall of Famer and champion Sky Beauty.
Yorkton is Speightstown’s seventh stakes winner of 2017, joining the likes of Eight Belles S. (G2) winner Benner Island and Whimsical S. (G3) winner Southern Ring.
