The $100,000 Singspiel Stakes is the major local prep for the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf in July and ultimately the Canadian International in October, featuring older horses going 1 1/2 miles on the turf.
40-1 longest shot Crackenthorpe took the lead right away and set a slow pace of 24.48, 49.05, 1:13.22, 1:37.73, and 2:02.24 while as much as 1 1/2 lengths clear of 7-1 Guillaume Tell who stalked him the whole way in second. 3-2 favorite Royal Challenger raced well off the pace early on. Through the stretch, Crackenthorpe faded from contention while 9-2 Pellegrino, who raced in midpack early, came out three wide on the turn to take over the lead at the 3/16 pole. He opened a 1 1/2 length lead at the 1/8 pole and was all out to hold off the late charge of Royal Challenger to prevail by just a neck in 2:27.79. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to 5-1 French Beret in third.
Winning trainer Roger Attfield said of his 8-year-old campaigner, "Last year, I wasn't sure he liked this big track. He seemed to run better on the smaller courses. This year we ran him the one time here. I thought it was a very positive race. The horse is in excellent shape. He's a nice, classy horse. You have to look after him and space his races out a little bit. He's like me, he's getting older. You have to be a little bit easier."
Jockey Jono Jones added, "He fought gamely. He's an old horse, he knows what this is about."
Results chart from Equibase
