Older but better, Cruden Bay looking to extend streak in King Edward

Heading into this season, Cruden Bay had established a reputation as a very honest sort while competing primarily under allowances terms.

But the 6-year-old gelding, owned by Michael Lay and trained by Don MacRae, has flipped the script this year and is heading into Saturday’s bet365 King Edward Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up, in search of his third win in as many starts and second consecutive graded stakes score.

The King Edward, which offers Grade 2 status and a purse of $200,000, will be run over one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf and is the leading local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile on September 14.

“Toward the end of his 3-year-old and 4-year-old campaigns, I remember telling Michael Lay that he was going to get better as he got older,” said MacRae. “But to say he was going to get this good… not in a million years.”

A convincing winner under third-level allowance conditions at 22-1 on June 1, Cruden Bay doubled up seven weeks later when defeating the hard knocking War Bomber (IRE) by a neck at a well-backed 4-1 in the Connaught Cup (G2T). Both races were run over seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf and Cruden Bay rallied from well off the pace on each occasion.

“I never really thought he’d be the kind of horse that would get up going seven-eighths on the turf and I kind of think the extra furlong is really going to help him,” said MacRae, of the horse with a 7-9-1 mark from 22 career starts, along with $433,405 (U.S.) in career earnings. “That being said, this race is developing to be a little tougher. But he definitely warrants a shot in there.