EMBARK SON LANDS SKY CLASSIC!


Wilgerbosdrift is home to the dam of one of the top turf performers currently competing in North America.

Can’thelpbelieving, the impressive winner of Sunday’s G2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine, is a son of Duke Of Marmalade and Wilgerbosdrift’s well bred broodmare Embark.

Trained by Graham Motion, Can’thelpbelieving made it career win number five when passing the dueling race leaders down the homestretch to claim the victory in the $175,000 Sky Classic Stakes (Gr. 2) on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack.

The trainer earned his second consecutive win in the 1-3/8 mile turf event for horses three years old and up following a victory with Messi in last year’s edition.

Jockey Joe Bravo had Can’thelpbelieving positioned in fourth-place along the rail throughout before taking a run at the leaders down the lane. Bravo angled the six-year-old bay gelding outside entering the stretch and rallied to the top to win by one and a quarter lengths in 2:14:95, with fellow late-closer Noble Thought (Patrick Husbands) checking in second.

Runner up in the G1 United Nations Stakes earlier this year, Can’thelpbelieving was scoring his second career graded victory, having won last year’s G3 Cliff Hanger Stakes previously. A tilt at either the G1 Northern Dancer Stakes or G1 Pattison Canadian International could be on the cards for the gelding, who pushed his earnings to over $490 000 with Sunday’s G2 victory.

A daughter of Nureyev’s champion son Soviet Star, the unraced Embark has a yearling filly by Duke Of Marmalade.

Embark (a full-sister to dual Lockinge Stakes winner Soviet Line) is also dam of nine time winner Embarkation (by Medicean).