Fire and Wine led from start to finish in a tactical battle to claim victory in Sunday’s $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the final race of the Canadian Triple Crown, held at Woodbine. The six-horse field got off to a smooth start in the 1 1/2-mile turf race for Canadian-bred three-year-olds, with jockey Jalon Samuel quickly taking the lead on Fire and Wine.
Starting from post position three, Samuel expertly guided Fire and Wine to the front, moving toward the rail and clocking the opening quarter mile in 25.15 seconds. Imyourmedicineman tracked just outside in second, while Keepmypowderdry and Buium followed a few lengths behind. Bond Market stayed close, fifth in position, with the favorite and only filly Katie’s Grace lagging at the back early on.
Fire and Wine expanded his lead over the field by the half-mile mark with a split of 50.48 seconds. As the race approached its midpoint, Katie’s Grace surged into third place but was still far behind the strong front-runner, who passed six furlongs in 1:15.10 on Woodbine’s firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Even after removing blinkers, Fire and Wine maintained the lead through the mile mark in 1:40.73, though his advantage started to shrink. Imyourmedicineman stayed close in second, Katie’s Grace was half a length back in third, and Buium was just outside her in fourth.
By the 1 1/4-mile point in 2:05.90, Fire and Wine remained in front but felt the pressure. Samuel urged his mount on, and the colt responded strongly, pulling away to win by four lengths in a final time of 2:30.57.
“To win this race is the biggest victory of my career,” Samuel said, celebrating with a powerful fist pump as they crossed the finish line. The seven-time Barbados Gold Cup winner added, “Canada, aside from Barbados, is now my home. I’ll be patient and steadily build my career here.”
Trained by Zeljko Krcmar, Fire and Wine broke his maiden in his sixth career start with a dominating 13-length win on a local main track under Slade Jones. They followed that with a five-length victory in the Coronation Futurity, putting the Paul Ryder-owned colt on the radar for the Queen’s Plate.
In 2026, with Samuel riding for the first time, Fire and Wine finished third in the Queen’s Plate and then contested the lead in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie before finishing fifth.
Krcmar noted, “He’s brave and never stops when he’s leading, but if somebody challenges him, he can be hesitant. I had a lot of faith that he’d handle being alone out front.”
Bred in Ontario by James and Janeane Everatt, Arika Meeuse, and Robert Marzilli, Fire and Wine (by Lexitonian out of Double Latte, by The Factor) improved his record to three wins, no seconds, and four thirds in 13 starts while giving his owner an unforgettable thrill.
“This is really something,” Ryder said. “I wasn’t sure if he had enough left in the stretch on the mile-and-a-half lead, but he did. That’s impressive.”
Fire and Wine went off at 11-1 odds, slightly longer than his morning line of 10-1, and paid $24.70 for the win in the Breeders’ Stakes. Bond Market came in second, followed by Buium in third and Imyourmedicineman fourth. Katie’s Grace finished fifth. After a steward’s inquiry and an objection by Imyourmedicineman’s jockey Fraser Aebly against Bond Market, the original results stood.
The Canadian Triple Crown has not been won since Wando in 2003. The 2026 series began with Luster’s dominant win in the Queen’s Plate on Woodbine’s all-weather track. Luster’s connections skipped the Prince of Wales Stakes, which was won on dirt by Military Time on September 7. Fire and Wine completed the Triple Crown series by taking the turf Breeders’ Stakes, joining the prestigious club of classic winners this season.
This article originally appeared in the Paulick Report’s News section on September 28, 2026.
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Fan Take: This thrilling finish to the Canadian Triple Crown highlights the depth and talent emerging in Canadian thoroughbred racing, showcasing exciting prospects like Fire and Wine. For horse racing fans, it signals a resurgence of competitive excitement in the sport and may inspire increased support and attention for future Canadian-bred stars.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
