Melnyk's Millionaire Marchfield Marches to Victory at Woodbine

Eugene Melnyk homebred Marchfield won a hard-fought stretch duel with Champs Elysees to win the 1 3/8M G2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday. "It's a great delight to see this horse show his pedigree. He's an A.P. Indy horse, out of a wonderful mare (Pico Teneriffe) that I raised," said Melnyk. "Coming to Woodbine is an emotional thing because I won the Queen's Plate here. Winning a race of that stature is a huge thrill. I'm looking forward to racing Marchfield back here again." Melnyk, who also owns hockey's Ottawa Senators, won the 1998 Queen's Plate with Archer's Bay.

Marchfield scores in the Sky Classic Stakes over Champs Elysees


The win scored a piece of revenge for Marchfield who finished second to a front-running Rahy's Attorney last time out in the 1 1/4M Nijinsky Stakes. Marchfield's trainer Mark Casse entered three horses in the Sky Classic with Woodbourne being appointed the role of ensuring a fast pace. However, it was 2008 Saranac winner Marlang who led the field through the early going knocking off fractions of :49.28, 1:13.45 and 1:38.11 under journeyman Richard Dos Ramos. Favoured Rahy's Attorney stalked the pace with Woodbourne sitting just off his flank down the backstretch, while Marchfield and Champs Elysees watched from the back of the pack.

Marchfield and jockey Patrick Husbands head to the winners circle


As the field entered the far turn, Slade Callaghan urged Rahy's Attorney to take on Marlang, and for a brief moment drew even at the top of the stretch, but Rahy's Attorney failed to hit his usual second gear when asked. Marlang fought gamely to put away Rahy's Attorney, but deep in the lane it became a two-horse race as Todd Kabel pushed Champs Elysees into the lead and Patrick Husbands bumped up along side with Marchfield. The two horses bumped and hustled in front of the tote board in an exciting duel before Husbands and Marchfield pulled away to win by half a length. Casse's Medjool closed late to finish third while Marlang held on for fourth. "He showed me that he just wants to run down the lane," said Husbands. "I tried to get him as close as possible. He wanted no part of it. When I swung for home, he just took off."

Trainer Mark Casse hoses off a triumphant Marchfield


Marchfield collected $172,500 in winning the Sky Classic Stakes and now boasts lifetime earnings of $1,109,976. Next up for the compact, multiple graded Stakes winner is the G1 $750,000 Northern Dancer Stakes, to be held on Sunday, September 20th.

Eugene Melnyk and Mark Casse listen in as Jeff Bratt gets the details from Patrick Husbands


In honour of the Sky Classic Stakes, here's video of the great Sam-Son Farm champion winning the 1992 Turf Classic at Belmont.


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Other Woodbine Stakes winners over the weekend include Double Malt, who was an easy winner of Saturday's $125,000 Eternal Search Stakes for trainer Malcolm Pierce.

On Sunday, Chantal Sutherland and Hello Maggie May scored a mild upset in the Belle Geste Stakes rallying to win for trainer Roger Attfield. Hello Maggie May sprinted seven furlongs in 1:23.41 over a 'good' turf course to defeat Mullins Beach and the favoured Saskawea. A Twitter friendly Sutherland later Tweeted,"Sooooo happpyyy!!! All my high school girlfriends came to the races and I won two races including the stake on Hello Maggie May!"

Sutherland further revealed that she in on her way to California for a photo shoot to promote the TV series Jockeys.

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Please check back in tomorrow for a photo essay from the Woodbine weekend workouts.