King Edward Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario will play host to the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes on Sunday, June 22. Horses three years old and upward will take to Woodbine's turf track and go on mile searching for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A field of eight have been confirmed for the King Edward - race 8 on Woodbine's Sunday schedule. Post time is 4:40 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all eight entries for this Grade 2 stakes.

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2014 King Edward Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Utley - has three graded stakes starts - a seventh in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, a fifth in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream, January 11 and a true breakthrough performance last time out - a win in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico May 17 at 7-1 odds. He placed in two starts before his most recent triumph as well - a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 1 followed a third in an Allowance at Keeneland April 13. He also had a third in the minor El Prado Stakes December 28. Utley has six wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 24 career starts and has to be confident off his huge win last time out. He lines up in gate 8 for his first start in Canada with Edgar Prado in the reins of the 123 pound top weight.

River Seven - multiple stakes winning Ontario bred gelding entered the Donn Handicap on an impressive three race win streak - the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes over the terrific Csaba at Gulfstream in record setting form December 22, the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs November 16 and the minor Labeeb Stakes at Woodbine in October but finished a disappointing tenth in the Donn. Last time out he continued his disappointing ways with a seventh in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup on this track May 31. Before his win streak a string of good seconds including the Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine in June and the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie in July. River Seven has hit the board in 10 of 15 career starts and will be out to avenge his worst two career worst performances. Jesse Campbell will guide River Seven from the rail.

King Edward Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Excaper - finished second in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and looked good in the summer of 2012 with a win and a pair of seconds. He had just four starts in 2013 - an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track July 19 after and eight month layoff, a very good second behind Dimension in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes August 25, a sixth in the competitive Woodbine Mile September 15 and a ninth in the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes here in October. Excaper has two starts in 2014 - two wins including an Allowance score at Keeneland April 13 and a terrific win last time out in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup on this track May 31. He has finished second in four stakes races on this track and has won the other. Excaper should be near the top again Sunday with Eurico Rosa Da Silva in the saddle from post 3.

Are You Kidding Me - was last seen running fourth in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes here June 1 after an impressive win - by four lengths in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in September. Before that he raced to a second in the minor Toronto Cup and a fifth in the minor Charley Barley Stakes - both results on this track. He has 14 career starts with three wins, three seconds and two second place finishes and has placed in two of his last three starts - the best coming two back in a win in the Grade 3 Kent. Are You Kidding Me will be looking for just his second win in two years Sunday and will have Justin Stein aboard from gate 4.

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Laugh Track - Mark Casse trained gelding has placed in 11 of 15 career and is coming off a third in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup here May 31 after an eighth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes May 3. Before that was a third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland April 12. He also had a troubled ninth after getting bumped in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct November 30 and a seventh in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint in February. His best result in quite some time came in November - a second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint which followed a second in the Grade 3 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 4 and a nice win in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine in June. Laugh Track has four wins, four seconds and three third place finishes in his career and has won or placed in all seven starts on this track. He will be looking for his first win since last June on Sunday with Patrick Husbands aboard from the outside post.

Grand Arch finished third in the Grade 2 Sky Classic at Woodbine August 18 after another third in the Grade 2 Nijinsky on that same track in July. Before that was a two race win streak - an Allowance Optional Claiming June 23 and an Allowance at Keeneland in April. He continued to look good in his last four starts - a second in the minor Labeeb Stakes here in October, a third in the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs in November, a second in an Allowance at Keeneland in April and a third last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 9 at Churchill Downs. Grand Arch has placed in all 14 career starts with three wins and is expected to be competitive again Sunday. David Moran rides from post 2 Sunday.

Tesseron -Josie Carroll trained colt had a good second in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on this track in October, 2012 - the only time he's placed in three career graded stakes start. He is coming off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track June 7 after an Allowance score at Keeneland April 18 and a pair of fourths in Allowance races. Tesseron has two wins and two seconds in 10 career starts and has been OK in his last two starts. Luis Contreras gets the call from post 5 as Tesseron looks for his first graded stakes score.

Seekingthediamond - Roger Attfield trainee made his stakes debut last time out and finished sixth in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup here May 31 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Keeneland April 5 and a fifth and a sixth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races. He did record an Allowance score back in July here as well. Seekingthediamond has 12 career starts with three wins, four seconds and two third place finishes and looks to break through in graded stakes company for the first time Sunday. Chantal Sutherland Kruse gets the call from post 6.


2014 King Edward Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Woodbine Racetrack's Sunday card with a Post Time of 4:40 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 River Seven J. Campbell N. Gonzalez
8-1
2 Grand Arch D. Moran B. Lynch
6-1
3 Excaper E. Da Silva I. Black
2-1
4 Are You Kidding Me J. Stein R. Attfield
12-1
5 Tesseron L. Contreras J. Carroll
12-1
6 Seekingthediamond C. Sutherland Kruse R. Attfield
20-1
7 Utley E. Prado J. Sheppard
5-2
8 Laugh Track P. Husbands M. Casse
4-1