Confidence in Metro winner

Metro Pace winner Yankee Skyscaper has spent the last week at Classy Lane Stables, in Puslinch, Ont., and trainer Chris Ryder says he has confidence in the Artiscape colt heading into the Breeders Crown eliminations for the 2-year-old pacing colts Saturday evening at Woodbine.

"The horse is doing fine, isn't having any problems, and I'm confident in him," Ryder said Wednesday morning. "After his win in the Metro, we went down to Lexington (The Red Mile) with him and I scratched him the one night (on Sept. 23, out of the Simpson Memorial) because the track was bad. But I was happy with the two races he put in afterwards down there."

After bypassing the Simpson Memorial, Yankee Skyscaper would then finish second in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes before notching an off-the-pace victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes on Oct. 6.

"I talked to Jody (driver Jamieson) after his win in Lexington and he said that the horse was full of confidence, so it's reassuring to know," said Ryder. "You can sit and watch a race and see a horse trip-out and win, but you really want to know how much horse is left, especially when two of the (International Stallion Stakes) divisions went faster."

Woodbine is notorious for being a front-end and speed-biased course, and Ryder knows that his pupil may have to leave the gate hard, something which he hasn't shown to be in his repertoire as of yet.

"We've never left with him, so it's hard to say whether he can do it both ways because it remains to be seen," said Ryder. "But I guess the time is coming where we might have to find out."

The top three finishers from each elimination will advance to the $600,000 final, and the fourth-place finisher with the highest purse earnings will also gain entrance. The connections of elim winners will also be able to select their post positions for the final. (WEG)

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