April 11th, 2009- Achievement Stakes for Three-Year-Olds, Foaled in Ontario, Six Fulongs

History Lesson: The Achievement Stakes inaugural year into racing was in 1953 when it was ran at Fort Erie Racetrack at a distance of 1 1/16 miles. Over the years the race has found three different homes, Fort Erie, Greenwood, and currently at Woodbine and four different distances, between 6 furlongs and a mile and a sixteenth. The race had also found its way to the turf for many seasons ('58-'67). Since its first running in '53, the Achievement has had six winners go on to win the Queen's Plate, the last time being over twenty years ago in 1988(Regal Intention). Not Bourbon(2008 Queen's Plate winner) could not quite get it done last year, finishing second to Stuck in Traffic, ridden by David Clark; who is currently tied with Sandy Hawley for the most wins by a jockey in the Achievement with six. Hall of Fame conditioner Roger Attfield holds the record for most wins by a trainer with four, and the legendary E.P. Taylor's Windfield Farms owns the record for most wins by an owner with five victories. In 2006, Reade Baker's trainee Tothemoonandback set the modern day record at six furlongs, at a time of 1:08.33, winning the $150,000 stakes with rider Jim McAleney aboard.

Achievement Stakes '09: This seasons Achievement Stakes looks to be a strong field of sophmores with the majority of runners having experience in stakes company, many of which will renew acquaintances. There are seven individuals, here's a look at the field by post position:

1. Bucephalus by Cape Canaveral out of May Time (Cure the Blues) Own: Knob Hill Farm, Trainer: Kevin Attard, Jockey: Tyler Pizarro

2. Win and Reign by Tomahawk out of Its a Ruby (Rubiano) Own: Hillsbrook Farms, Trainer: Nick Gonzalez, Jockey: Jim McAleney

3. Foxy Lion by Foxtrail out of Lioness Inthe Sand (Line In The Sand) Own: Carol A. Cullen, Trainer: Nick Gonzalez, Jockey: Chad Beckon

4. Silver Rocket by Mutakddim out of Launch the Rocket (Forest Wildcat) Own: Sprott Racing Inc., Trainer: Gail Cox, Jockey: David Clark

5. El Brujo by Candy Ride (ARG) out of Enchanted Spell (Devil's Bag) Own: Windways Farm Limited, Trainer: Malcolm Pierce, Jockey: Patrick Husbands

6. Mega Rush by Megas Vukefalos out of Solina (Wild Rush) Own: T V Stables, Trainer: Michael DePaulo, Jockey: Eurico Rosa DaSilva

7. My Bad by Endeavor out of My Sweet Tooch (Tejabo) Own: Tucci Stables, Trainer: Nick Gonzalez, Jockey: Emma-Jayne Wilson

The Skinny: Nick Gonzalez is sending out three runners here; looking to repeat last years triumph with Stuck in Traffic. Win and Reign, Foxy Lion and My Bad will all compete to win, but, the reality is that Win and Reign is the toughest and more experienced of the three. The colt; one of two in the race, has already won in stakes company and has only missed a cheque once in five lifetime starts and he has earnings of just over $130,000. His stablemates, on the other hand, have only six lifetime starts between them. My Bad has done well in the past, but, the young Tucci homebred had a troubled start to his last race of the '08 campaign and finished poorly in his only stakes competition of his career. Foxy Lion has never raced in a stakes class race, and though the horse's Beyer's figures are on the rise, the company in this race may prove to be too much.

Bucephalus is coming into this one with the longest layoff of the whole field, unraced since his poor showing in the August 10th/08 Vandal Stakes. This young colt will look to bounce back for trainer Kevin Attard and young jock Tyler Pizarro, who will ride him for the first time. Don't count this one out as he has won in stakes company and put up a 75 Beyer while doing so in last year's Clarendon Stakes, as a maiden, defeating rivals El Brujo and Silver Rocket. Only three lifetime starts and has earned over $100,000.

Gail Cox's resilience to win a stakes race with her maiden Silver Rocket continues on Saturday afternoon. This son of Mutakddim gives a great effort everytime out hitting the board six out of seven races, but he just can't find the winner's circle. David Clark will be aboard once again, looking to become the only jock to have seven wins in the Achievement, but the duo will face rivals El Brujo, Win and Reign and Bucephalus which he has never finished ahead of any of the three. Silver Rocket has earned over $100,000 as a maiden.

Mike DePaulo brings an experienced sophmore to the group. With seven lifetime starts, Mega Rush will be looking to build on last season. Finding his first and only win against maidens in September, Mega Rush finished the season off with mediocre, if not poor, efforts. Running in the Frost King Stakes showed that he was out of his class and made the immediate switch to an allowance race to finish off the '08 campaign, which did not prove overly well for the son of Megas Vukefalos, as he finished a poor fourth, five lengths back of the winner. This race may tell where this horse goes next, more than likely allowance company.

Finally, we get to El Brujo, the young son of Candy Ride(ARG). Malcolm Pierce has taken this horse down south to New Orleans for training all winter and his last published work comes out of Keenland which may give him an advantage to the rest of the field's long layoffs. El Brujo has also been the most consistant in the Beyer figure department, posting five straight races between 72 and 77 Beyers, pretty impressive. Though he may not be the first choice here, he will be a top contender as he has never missed the tote board and never finished worse that third. The only thing to stop him are his rivals Win and Reign and Bucephalus who have both beaten El Brujo last season. Another intersting fact is that El Brujo has yet to win in stakes company, even with lifetime earnings of just over $190,000.

My Picks: 5-2-4

Please feel free to post your own picks and comments for the 57th running of the Achievement Stakes. A review of the race will be posted Saturday evening.