{"id":163811,"date":"2025-09-27T12:53:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T12:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163811\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T12:53:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T12:53:10","slug":"grooms-with-a-view-five-breeders-stakes-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163811\/","title":{"rendered":"Grooms With A View: Five Breeders\u2019 Stakes Contenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sophie Charalambous, for Woodbine<\/p>\n

This Sunday marks the 135th running of the Breeders\u2019 Stakes, the third and final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The 1 1\/2-mile turf race is no small feat for the 3-year-old contenders.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the iconic race, five grooms spoke about their daily observations and the unwavering bond they share with the horses they spend so much time with.<\/p>\n

Watsonville Red<\/p>\n

Watsonville Red is trained by Michael De Paulo and owned by John and Diana Russell. Leo Salles is the jockey. The 3-year-old gelding ran in the 2025 King\u2019s Plate and finished seventh. Joseph De Paulo, Mike\u2019s son, is the groom of Watsonville Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always been a very timid horse,\u201d said Joseph. \u201cHe started to come around. I think he\u2019s going to be in top form for this next race. He\u2019s sharp, he\u2019s jumping out of his stall, he\u2019s really coming around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gelded him, and it kind of stuck his head on right. He started moving in the right direction. I think it\u2019s just when he gets space in between his races, he gets sharper and more forward. What we\u2019ve done by skipping the Prince of Wales is giving him enough time so that he can be very sharp.\u201d<\/p>\n

De Paulo cares for and regards each of the horses he grooms as if they\u2019re his own children.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have three boys, and I call them my sons \u2013 I have Stanley House, Watsonville Red, and Souper Success.\u201d<\/p>\n

For De Paulo, Watsonville Red\u2019s most defining quality is how he continues to improve the further he runs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis ability to get better and better as he goes longer. I don\u2019t know how far he wants to run, but I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll have no trouble going a mile and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n

De Paulo is hopeful ahead of the Breeders\u2019 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatsonville Red is kind of like a lottery ticket; he gets you in the door, and you\u2019ve got a chance. I think the distance is fit for him. He shouldn\u2019t have any problems with the turf, especially going longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Watsonville Red. Michael Burns Photography<\/p>\n

Borealis Trail<\/p>\n

Rachel Halden trains two horses running in the Breeders\u2019 Stakes \u2013 Borealis Trail and Aristella. Borealis Trail is owned by Chiefswood Stables Limited, with Jose Luis Campos set to ride.<\/p>\n

Ray Perez looks after Borealis Trail.<\/p>\n

Perez has worked at Woodbine since 2008 and has been working for Halden since April of this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s very quiet, nice, and easy-going. He\u2019s very easy to groom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once Borealis Trail became a gelding, Perez noticed that the horse became gentler.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gets excited on race day. He\u2019s one of my favourites. He\u2019s a good boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perez notes how his extensive experience with horses allows him not to be nervous ahead of important races such as the Breeders\u2019 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s special to me because he\u2019s a nice and gentle horse. When I talk to him, he pays attention and he\u2019s quiet. He\u2019s a very smart horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perez is looking forward to the Breeders\u2019 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he can get a good position in this race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Borealis Trail. Michael Burns Photography<\/p>\n

Aristella<\/p>\n

Halden\u2019s other hopeful, Aristella, is owned by Flying Zee Racing Stables LLC. Patrick Husbands is the jockey. Adrian Harewood grooms Aristella.<\/p>\n

Harewood, who began working for Halden this year, started at Woodbine in 2002. He went home to Barbados for four years and then came back to Woodbine in January of 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat horse is amazing. I\u2019ve never worked with a racehorse like that yet. I don\u2019t tie her to groom her, pick her feet, or anything. She\u2019s a smart horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The connection between a horse and groom takes time and care, noted Harewood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horses know you. Once you show them love, and attention and care, they get used to you. I let her smell me so she can pick up my scent; that\u2019s a big part of it. A horse that knows the groom by the scent. I let all of my horses sniff me so that they know, \u2018This is the person that\u2019s taking care of me.\u2019<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got a good connection with her, she\u2019s special. That horse doesn\u2019t do nothing wrong. Everything is on par with her. She\u2019s so kind, she\u2019s a lovable horse. Even the vets that come to treat her love her. She\u2019s gentle. She loves her job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harewood is looking forward to the Breeders\u2019 Stakes and believes that the distance will be beneficial for Aristella.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s getting her distance now, so she\u2019s showing her real, true potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Aristella. Michael Burns Photography<\/p>\n

Sedburys Ghost<\/p>\n

Sedburys Ghost is trained by Barb Minshall and owned by Yawen Wu, with Ryan Munger as the jockey. Dexter Brathwaite grooms Sedburys Ghost.<\/p>\n

Brathwaite has been working at Woodbine since 1992 and has worked for Minshall for 19 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a very good personality,\u201d Brathwaite said of Sedburys Ghost. \u201cHe\u2019s a very easy horse to work around, and I\u2019m hoping for the best in the Breeders\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sedburys Ghost\u2019s unique quirks and his alertness stand out the most for Brathwaite.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s one of my favourites. It\u2019s the little things he does \u2013 he likes to shake his head, telling you good morning or good night. He likes to look around and watch and likes to go graze and relax. A kid could hold him out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows when it\u2019s race day. When he jogs for the commission vet, and when you put him back in the stall. He knows he\u2019s running.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brathwaite is looking forward to his run in the Breeders\u2019 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always excited whenever you\u2019re in those kinds of races. I think he\u2019s going to run a big one. Hoping for the best, and that we can get a good trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Sedburys Ghost. Michael Burns Photography<\/p>\n

Faber<\/p>\n

Kevin Attard trains Faber, who is owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling. Faber ran in the first two races of the Canadian Triple Crown, where he finished sixth in the King\u2019s Plate and placed third in the Prince of Wales. Donovan Buchanan grooms the gelding.<\/p>\n

Buchanan has been working at Woodbine since 1997 and has worked at numerous racetracks across Canada, including Western Canada. This year marks Buchanan\u2019s third of working for Attard.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a calm horse and has a cool personality,\u201d Buchanan said of Faber. \u201cHe tells me if something\u2019s wrong. He\u2019s a very happy horse. He\u2019s more of a playful horse; he\u2019ll play around with me in the stall. I can leave him loose and do him up \u2013 he\u2019s really a pet. He\u2019s a very quiet horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faber is also attentive and knows when it\u2019s race day.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knows the difference \u2013 he wakes up. He\u2019s more alert, and he powers himself up. He knows the difference between a race and just a morning workout.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faber is one of Buchanan\u2019s favourite horses that he takes care of.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when I\u2019m at home, I think about him. I just want to make sure that everything is proper with him. He\u2019s like a big dog. He\u2019s a happy horse, and I love being around him. I\u2019m happy that Kevin Attard gave me the opportunity and the chance of a lifetime to be working with this type of animal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buchanan notes how Faber\u2019s most unique quality is his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has two different types of eyes. He has a wall eye and a regular horse eye, that\u2019s a binocular eye. To me, that makes him special. He\u2019s calm, he\u2019s cool, collected, playful. He\u2019s a very handsome horse, and he knows that he\u2019s handsome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buchanan is looking forward to seeing Faber contest the Breeders\u2019 Stakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited, I can\u2019t wait to watch my horse down the lane. He\u2019s won on the inside turf before. I have a lot of confidence in him, he\u2019s like a son, and I know he\u2019s going to do wonderful in the Breeders\u2019 Stakes. When he\u2019s in the gate, I just leave it up to him and Pietro (jockey, Moran).\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Faber. Michael Burns Photography<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sophie Charalambous, for Woodbine This Sunday marks the 135th running of the Breeders\u2019 Stakes, the third and final…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":163812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[3004,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-163811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-racing","tag-racing","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}