Cloudy's Knight on Closing Day at Woodbine...
Cloudy's Knight changes surfaces again
By Ron Gierkink
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Cloudy's Knight, who suffered a heart-breaking loss a month ago in the Breeders' Cup Marathon, heads an excellent field in Sunday's $150,000 Valedictory Stakes, a 1 3/4-mile race that is the closing-day feature of the 167-day Woodbine meet. Post time for the first of 13 races is 1 p.m.
Cloudy's Knight garnered the Sovereign Award for Canada's champion male turf horse in 2007, when he captured the Grade 1 Canadian International over five European invaders. He went to the sidelines for a year after slumping in the summer of 2008, and then resurfaced in September with trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who sent him out to win the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf at Kentucky Downs and the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland.
Cloudy's Knight assumed command on the final turn in the 1 3/4-mile BC Marathon at Santa Anita before dropping a nose decision to Man of Iron. Sheppard said he was thrilled with the performance, which came over a Pro-Ride synthetic surface.
"With a 9-year-old going on a different surface, we had no idea what to expect," Sheppard said. "He had trained on the synthetic, but had never run on it. It was only two weeks between races, and I'd hoped that we weren't asking too much from him. Even though it was a hard race at Keeneland, he snapped out of it quickly."
Sheppard said the Pro-Ride at Santa Anita was packed down tight, making it play more like a firm turf course than other synthetic surfaces. He anticipates a different type of track here, which could pose a new challenge for Cloudy's Knight.
"At Woodbine, I expect [the Polytrack] to be a little deeper and cuppier," Sheppard said. "I don't expect it to be like it was at Santa Anita. I don't know how he's going to handle it."
Sheppard said Cloudy's Knight has worked twice at his Pennsylvania farm since the Marathon, once on the grass and once on a wood chip track.
"He's fit and he's sound," said Sheppard. "I think he's going to give it his best. Whether that's good enough, who knows?"
Rosemary Homeister Jr. will ride Cloudy's Knight, the 121-pound highweight in the 10-horse field.
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