2017 Connaught Cup Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G2 Connaught Cup Stakes will be run this Saturday, June 3 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A purse of $175,000 will be up for grabs for horses four years old and upward willing to go seven furlongs on Woodbine's turf track.

A field of nine will take to the track in the Connaught Cup - race 8 on Woodbine's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:52 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all nine combatants for this intriguing G2 stakes.

2017 Connaught Cup Stakes Entries at Woodbine Racetrack

Take the Stand 2-1

Bill Mott Argentinean bred trainee has six wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 16 career starts. He enters off an OK second in the minor Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs May 4, a seventh in an Allowance at Keeneland April 9 and an OK third in the G2 Bernard Baruch Stakes at Saratoga September 5. Before that was a disappointing eleventh in the G1 Arlington Millions August 13 and a career best effort - a win in the G2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds March 26. He also had a respectable second by a neck in the G3 Tampa Bay Stakes February 13, 2016. He also won a Group 3 stakes at home before shipping in February, 2015. Take the Stand has shown form in the past and will be looking for a first win in 15 months. Jesse Campbell will be in the reins of the morning line favorite from post 5.

Calgary Cat 5-2

2014 outstanding sprinter in Canada has been up and down the last two years - 10 wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 19 starts. He enters in so-so form - a sixth last time out in the minor Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park April 29 followed a fourth at 41-1 odds in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and his best result in some time - a win in the G2 Nearctic Stakes here October 16. He struggled before that a fourth in the minor Ontario Jockey Club Stakes here September 11 followed a fifth in the minor Troy Stakes at Saratoga August 20. Other results include an OK third in the G3 Bold Venture Stakes July 23, a nice win by 1 1/2 lengths in the minor Achievement Stakes June 18, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 21, a second in the 2015 Bold Venture and a pair of impressive minor stakes scores here - the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes last August and the Achievement Stakes in July - he also won the 2014 G2 Kennedy Road Stakes. Calgary Cat now has 12 wins, four seconds and three third place finishes in 29 career starts and tries to snap a two-race losing streak from gate 4. Luis Contreras has been tabbed to ride the second betting choice from gate 4.

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Tower of Texas 9-2

Roger Attfield trained gelding has four wins, eighth seconds and three third place finishes in 20 career starts - 19 at Woodbine. He was last seen back in October when he finished tenth in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Before that were three straight runner-up finishes - just a half-length behind Tepin in the G1 Woodbine Mile and the G3 King Edward Stakes June 2 included. He was away from the track for 10 but prior to that had three wins and two seconds in summer 2015 here - a 2 3/4 length score in the 2015 G2 King Edward and the runner-up finish in the 2015 edition of the G2 Play the King included. He has placed in nine of his last 11 starts overall and will be looking for a strong bounce back in his first start in seven months when he leaves from the rail with Eurico Rosa Da Silva aboard.

Glenville Gardens 6-1

Sid Attard trained gelding has eight wins, two seconds and a third-place finish in 16 career starts. He hits the track for the first time since a nice win in the minor Labeeb Stakes here November 6. It followed a third in an Allowance here October 14, a seventh in the G1 Woodbine Mile on this track in September and a three-race win streak - over Tower of Texas in the G2 Play the King Stakes on this track August 20, an Allowance July 29 and a Starter Allowance July 8 - both here. He also had a fourth in the G2 Connaught Cup here last June 5 and an ugly tenth place finish in the 2016 G2 Kennedy Road Stakes on this track November 22. In 20 15 he had a nice three race win streak last year all on this track including the minor Labeeb Stakes, an Allowance Optional Claiming and a Claiming. Glenville Gardens has won four of his last six starts overall and will be looking for his second graded stakes score Saturday. Gary Boulanger gets the call post 7.

Commute 10-1

Mark Casse trainee has five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 20 career starts. He enters in decent form - an Allowance Optional Claiming score last time out May 7 followed a second in the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes April 15 and a third in the G2 Kennedy Road Stakes November 25 - all on his track. Before that was a fourth in the minor Labeeb Stakes on this track November 6, an Allowance Optional Claiming score here October 8 and a ninth in the minor Kentucky Downs Turf Cup in September. Before that were consecutive eighths in graded stakes action - the G2 King Edward Stakes on this track July 2 and the G3 Jaipur Invitational June 11 at Belmont Park. Commute wasn't great last summer but has been a factor in al three of his recent starts. He shoots for a first stakes score Saturday from gate 6 with Patrick Husbands guiding him.

Dimension 12-1

defending champion, British bred Dimension posted a win at 10-1 odds with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in the 2013 Play the King Stakes and was OK after that - a good win in the minor Kentucky Downs Turf Dash September 24, 2014 and a third in the 2014 Grade 3 Play the King Stakes. Dimension caught fire again last summer - consecutive wins including the G2 King Edward Stakes on this track July 2 and in the G2 Connaught Cup Stakes here June 5. He failed to place in his previous six starts however and has failed to place in his last three overall as well. Last time out was a ninth in the G3 Hanshin Cup at Arlington May 13 after a sixth in the minor More Than Ready Mile at Kentucky Downs in September and a sixth in the G2 Play the King Stakes on this track in July. Dimension now has seven wins, six seconds and a third-place finish in 36 career starts and hops to snap an ugly three-race skid from gate 2. David Moran has the mount.

Great Wide Open 12-1

Irish bred Conor Murphy trained gelding has just four wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 24 career starts. He was OK in 22 starts at home and has struggled in his two North American races. A fourth last time out in the minor Elusive Quality Stakes at Belmont Park April 29 followed a tenth in the minor Bonapaw Stakes at Fair Grounds December 17. Great Wide Open hasn't been all that impressive but will be out to make some noise Saturday from the outside post 9. Julie Burke will be in the irons.

Hollywood Hideaway 20-1

Barbara Minshall trained gelding has three wins, a second and two third place finishes in 11 career starts - all at Woodbine. He enters off a third in an Allowance Optional May 7 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score November 4 and a fifth and a second respectively in a trio of Allowance Optional Claiming races last summer. His only graded stakes start came in September, 2015 when he finished fifth in the G2 Summer Stakes. Hollywood Hideaway has quietly placed in four of his last five starts overall and will aim for a first stakes score from gate 8 Saturday. Rafael Manuel Hernandez is scheduled to ride.

Seffeara 20-1

Steve Owens trained gelding has six wins, a second and three third place finishes in 18 career starts - all on this track. He steps into graded stakes company for the first time Saturday off a sixth in the minor New Providence Stakes May 6 after a third in the minor Bunty Lawless Stakes October 22, an Allowance Optional Claiming score and off-the-board finishes in three races last summer (two minor stakes). Seffeara steps up in so-so form although he looks as though he in be in over his head from post 3. Alan Garcia rides.

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2017 Connaught Cup Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Woodbine's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:52 PM.