Ontario-bred horse Gas Me Up faces stiff challenge in Breeders’ Cup Mile event

Kevin Attard fully understands the monumental task at hand.

Canada’s champion trainer last year will send Gas Me Up, a five-year-old Ontario-bred postward Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. The five-year-old gelding, which was third in last month’s $1-million Woodbine Mile turf event, will break from the No. 12 post in the 13-horse field and is an early 30-1 pick.

The field includes Woodbine Mile winner Notable Speech, the four-year-old colt who finished third in last year’s Breeder’s Cup race as the favourite.

“Obviously, we’re hooking some top competition — which is exactly what you expect with it being the Breeders’ Cup,” Attard said. “But this is a horse who is starting to come into his own.”

Gas Me Up has two wins and a third-place finish from four starts this year. The American-owned dark bay gelding has four victories, a second and third from nine lifetime starts and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

“The post isn’t ideal,” said Attard, a three-time King’s Plate winner. “That said, if we can map out a good trip, he has shown he has the fight and heart to put in a big effort.

“In his past two wins, he has shown exactly that.”

Last year, Attard-trained filly Moira captured a stirring win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf race, which was also at Del Mar. Moira, the ’22 King’s Plate champion and Canada’s horse of the year and ’24 Eclipse Award recipient as outstanding turf female, was recently retired and will now serve as a broodmare in Australia.

“Being here brings back a lot of great memories of Moira,” Attard said. “These are the races you dream of being in.

“This horse (Gas Me Up) being bred by Sam-Son, one of Canada’s greatest owners and breeders, makes it that much more special. He’s coming into the race exactly as we hoped. He’s feeling good.”

Mark Casse, named Canada’s top trainer a record 16 times, will have three horses racing at Del Mar: Final Accord ($1-million Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday); Bring Theband Home ($1-million Turf Sprint on Saturday); and Nitrogen ($2-million Distaff on Saturday).

Casse, a three-time King’s Plate winner, has recorded six Breeders’ Cup victories heading into this year’s event.

A horse that trainer Miguel Clement raced at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack will also be running in the Breeders’ Cup. Tawny Port will take part in the US $5-million Turf on Saturday after finishing second by a nose to Silawi in the $750,000 Canadian International on Oct. 4.

Silawi will also run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Tawny Port will be one of four Breeders’ Cup starters for Clement. The others are: Intricate Spirit ($1-million Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday); Bottas ($1-million Juvenile Turf on Friday); and Bellezza ($2-million Filly & Mare Turf on Saturday).

Of note for Clement, Saturday would have been the 60th birthday of his late father, trainer, Christophe, who died May 25 following a battle with cancer.

“To have a Breeders’ Cup winner on Dad’s birthday would be very, very meaningful,” Clement told Bloodhorse, an American multimedia publishing company. “I would love to have a big winner on the weekend because it will be tough to celebrate his first birthday without him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2025.