Las Vegas, NV - Woodbine Racetrack's turf track will play host to the Connaught Cup Stakes this Sunday, May 27th. Horses four years old and upward will race seven furlongs in search of their share of the $150,000 purse.

The Connaught Cup has drawn a very strong field of 11 entries that include five graded stakes winners. It is race 8 on Woodbine's Sunday card with a post time of 4:49 PM. Let's take a look at the 11 participants and what brought them to this Grade 2 event.

2012 Connaught Cup Stakes Race Favorites

Stormy Lord - is the defending champion in this event but has been wildly inconsistent since that race. Mixed in with three wins in the last year is a 10th in the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes, an 11th at the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes and a sixth last time out in an Allowance race at Keeneland on April 7th.

Mutual Trust - Bill Mott trained Mutual Trust races for the fourth time on North American soil after a good career in Europe. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 2nd and before that was a seven in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream on March 3rd. Mutual Trust's North American debut resulted in a respectable fifth in the Grade 3 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream on January 14th. Respected rider Corey Nakatani will get the mount on Sunday.

Court of the Realm - will make her season debut after a rather unflattering end to the 2011 campaign. Court of the Realm won five straight between September of 2010 and June of 2011 but finished the year with a sixth in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup Stakes, a 12th in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes and a disappointing ninth last time out in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine on November 12th. She has shown good form but not lately.

Connaught Cup Stakes 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

Signature Red - won the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes on this track last June and has placed in four of six races since. In her only start of the year, Signature Red finished a respectable fourth in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes to follow up a pair of thirds to end 2011 - in the Grade 3 Kennedy Road Stakes and an Allowance race both on this track.

Kara's Orientation - won the Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes in August after another win in an Allowance in July. However since that time she has not been the same - a pair of 11ths in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes and the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes were followed up with a seventh in the Labeeb Stakes in October and a sixth last time out in an Allowance on May 12th.

Stormy Rush - has had three wins and a third place finish in six career starts. In graded stakes action Stormy Rush finished an impressive third on this track in the Grade 3 Summer Stakes and followed it up with a fourth in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland in October.

Connaught Cup Stakes betting at Woodbine Racetrack with OffTrackBetting.com

Big Band Sound - won an Allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs in January and has looked decent since - a fifth in the Turf Dash Stakes was followed up with a second in the Jacques Cartier Stakes and a second most recently in the Grade 2 Vigil Stakes. Big Band Sound enters the Connaught in good form.

Riding the River - raced to a decent fifth in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes but followed that up with a distant ninth in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes in October. Since then Riding the River had a fourth in the Labeeb Stakes and a seven in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out on April 28th.

Arctic Fern - won an Allowance last time out on May 12th on this track after an unflattering sixth in the Jacques Cartier Stakes and an equally disappointing 10th in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes here on November 12th.

Something Extra - has placed in six of the last seven starts - none of the graded stakes variety however. Last time out was a fourth in the Jacques Cartier Stakes and before that was a win in an Allowance Optional Claiming race in November.

Welloiledmachine - finished fifth in the Prince of Wales Stakes in July and followed that up with a pair of wins in Allowance races at Woodbine. Since then Welloiledmachine has a second in the Bunty Lawless Stakes and a fourth in the only start this year in an Allowance on this track.

2012 Connaught Cup Stakes Entries

Race 8 on Woodbine's Sunday card with a Post Time of 4:49 PM.