Vigil Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Vigil Stakes is on tap for Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario this Sunday, May 11 - on opening weekend of Woodbine's 2014 season. A purse of $150,000 will be on the line for horses four years old and upward willing to go seven furlongs on Woodbine's All Weather Track.

Nine evenly matched older entries will line up in the Vigil Stakes - race 8 on Woodbine's Saturday card. Post time is 4:44 PM. Let's take a brief look into the past performances of all nine entries for this Mother's Day Sunday stakes.

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2014 Vigil Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Dan the Tin Man - is coming off a nice win on this track April 13 - the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes at 9-1 odds after a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Tampa Bay Downs in February and a sixth in the minor Ontario Jockey Club Stakes in November. His last graded stakes start came in August - an uber-disappointing eleventh in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes here. He did have two minor stakes wins on this track at this time last year and was third in the Grade 3 Highlander Stakes in July as well. Dan the Tin Man has 14 career starts with four wins, a second and three third place finishes. He is the 125 pound highweight for the Vigil and is expected to be the one to catch from the rail Sunday.

Ultimate Destiny - Sovereign Award finalist for Canada's older male in 2013 had nine starts last year with five wins and three second place finishes. A three race win streak in the Spring ended with a good second behind Alpha Bettor in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup here August 3 in the first of three straight second place finishes (the others being minor stakes action). Ultimate Destiny returned to the winner's circle October 20 - in the minor Bunty Lawless Stakes over Pender Harbour here and went on to a fourth in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on this track in November. Last time out was another win in the minor Sir Barton Stakes on this track December 4. He was terrific last year on this track and will be looking to carry the momentum into his 2014 debut. He is the co-top weight along with Dan the Tin Man Sunday.

Vigil Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Victory Exchange -has just four career starts for trainer Josie Carroll with two wins and a second place finish. The wins came on this track in his first two career starts - since then he's finished fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Oaklawn Park in March. Last time out was a respectable second in the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes behind Dan the Tin Man here April 13.

Occasional View - Kenneth McPeek trained gelding is coming off a terrific win in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland April 12 after a disappointing ninth in his 2014 debut - the minor Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park January 11. Before that was a third in the minor Prairie Bayou Stakes and a good second in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on this track in November. He has six wins, a second and four third place finishes in 20 career starts and served notice last time out that he is one to be reckoned with. he starts from gate 8 Sunday and is expected to challenge with Omar Moreno in the saddle.

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Delegation - made his graded stakes debut with a third in the 2012 Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine before two straight impressive wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming score and the 2012 Durham Cup Stakes. He went on to a very good third in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile behind Tapizar and Rail Trip and a second in the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes December 16 right behind Csaba. He started his 2013 campaign with an ugly eighth in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes but won two of four after that including the Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes July 1 with a good second in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes sandwiched in there. He enters this weekend having finished sixth in his last two starts - as 3-10 favorite in the Grade 3 Durham Cup last time out October 6 and before that in the competitive Grade 1 Pacific Classic behind Game On Dude among others August 25 at Del Mar. He has 14 career starts with six wins, three seconds and two third place finishes and will be looking to bounce back after a couple of unflattering results ended his 2013 campaign.

Dynamic Sky - Mark Casse trained colt looked very good early in his career - highlighted by a second in the Grade 1 Dixiana Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October, 2012. He went on to a respectable sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, a win in the minor Pasco Stakes and a good second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes in February 2013. He has been up and down since. Last time out was a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Keeneland April 10 after a third in the Queen's Plate here in July and a nice win in the minor Plate Trial Stakes also on this track in June. He has been in there with some of the best but will be looking for his first graded stakes score Sunday.

Go Blue Or Go Home -Reade Baker trained gelding has 12 career starts with five wins, a second and a third place finish - three straight wins before a fourth in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes here August 25. Since then he has recorded an OK third in the Grade 2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 4, a second in the minor Ontario Jockey Club Stakes on this track November 2, a fourth in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes here November 30 and a fifth last time out in the Grade 3 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland April 12.

Really Sharp - Ian Black pupil is coming off a third place finish in the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes behind Dan the Tin Man and Victory Exchange April 13. Before that was a second and a third respectively in a pair of Allowance races at Gulfstream this past winter. His best career result was a third in the Grade 2 Nashua River Stakes on this track in November 2012. Really Sharp has just one win, one second and three third place finishes in 10 career starts.

Bear No Joke - Reade Baker trained gelding had a nice win in the minor Kenora Stakes here August 28 after a pair of sixths in graded stakes action - the Grade 3 Highlander Stakes July 7 and the Grade 2 Connaught Cup in May. Last time out was another terrific win - in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes at 17-1 odds on this track November 30 which followed a seventh in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes. He has won two of his last three starts on this track and hopes for another victory in his 2014 debut Sunday.


2014 Vigil Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Woodbine Racetrack's Sunday card with a Post Time of 4:51 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Dan the Tin Man D. Garcia R. Griffith
6-1
2 Victory Exchange L. Contreras J. Carroll
9-2
3 Bear No Joke E. Wilson R. Baker
8-1
4 Really Sharp S. Bahen I. Black
12-1
5 Dynamic Sky J. Stein M. Casse
15-1
6 Delegation P. Husbands M. Casse
5-2
7 Ultimate Destiny E. Da Silva A. Fehr
10-1
8 Occasional View O. Moreno K. McPeek
7-2
9 Go Blue Or Go Home J. Campbell R. Baker
8-1