It took Essence Hit Man just 1:08.16 to win the $175,000 Jacques Cartier S. April 17 at Woodbine, as the 4-year-old by Speightstown shaved 0.15 seconds off the existing six furlong track record. The Cartier marked the chestnut’s 2011 debut and third career stakes win at Woodbine; he added Queenston S. and Achievement S. last year.[watch video]
Essence Hit Man wasted little time getting the jump on his rivals, which included Canada’s 2008 Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet. He was up 3 1/2-lengths after a quarter mile in :21.98. Fatal Bullet mounted a challenge around the turn, closing within a half-length of the leader at the four furlong marker, which went in a blistering :43.86. Essence Hit Man poured it on again in the stretch, pulling away to win by two lengths.
The race was a bonanza for Audre Cappuccitti, who bred, owns and trains the winner.
“Never, honestly never (thought his performance would be this smashing). I went off all by myself in a corner and watched the whole race,” said Cappuccitti. “I thought it was really a tough race. They’re lovely horses…all of them.
“I expected him to go out fast, but when they started to come, I thought he was getting a little tired. Some of them were breezing five-eighths before he was (this spring). I was thrilled. Patrick (winning rider Patrick Husbands) rode him great.”
The Canadian bred winner now sports an excellent record of 6-2-3 from 13 starts, earning $557,650.
Speightstown now has eight stakes horses in 2011. The 13-year-old stallion finished 2010 as the nation’s second-leading third-crop sire in terms of earnings, and he topped all sires with 25 stakes horses and 14 stakes winners.
