Dale Desruisseaux, a trainer based at Woodbine, plans to field a strong group of horses in New York this winter and aims to capture his first U.S. stakes victory with Highwaytothemoon in Saturday’s $175,000 Carle Place, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for three-year-olds at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Owned by Domenic Dilalla, Highwaytothemoon, a gelding by Ransom the Moon, has exceeded expectations this year. After winning a neck decision over older horses in his season opener on Woodbine’s Tapeta surface at 5 1/2 furlongs in April, he ran well in several races at seven furlongs. Notably, he was a close second in the King Corrie Stakes in May and then scored a front-running victory in the Queenston Stakes against fellow Canadian-breds in June.
Desruisseaux admitted that he had not considered the Triple Crown series in Canada initially, believing Highwaytothemoon to be better suited to one-turn races. Nevertheless, the horse surprised connections by winning the nine-furlong Plate Trial in July before encountering traffic problems that led to a ninth-place finish in the 10-furlong King’s Plate in August.
Trying again at longer distances, Highwaytothemoon finished seventh in the Prince of Wales Stakes over 1 3/16 miles on Fort Erie’s dirt track. According to Desruisseaux, the horse showed he did not favor longer routes beyond one turn. The trainer also explained the rough trip in the King’s Plate sapped the horse’s energy, which influenced their decision to shift focus to more suitable distances.
Returning to shorter routes, Highwaytothemoon recently finished a strong-closing second in the 6 1/2-furlong Sophomore Stakes on October 10 over the Woodbine Tapeta surface. Despite a challenging trip from an inside post, jockey Jose Campos felt that racing wider might have led to victory.
This will be only Highwaytothemoon’s second race on turf; his previous turf effort was a notable fourth-place finish in the Listed Algonquin Stakes last October at Woodbine. The winner of that race, Cy Fair, went on to claim the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
Desruisseaux is untroubled by forecasted rain, confident that Highwaytothemoon will adapt whether the race stays on turf or switches to synthetic. The bay gelding, who has eight wins from 10 starts on synthetic surfaces and has earned $277,376, will break from post five under jockey Dylan Davis.
Bred in Ontario by James, Janeane, and Arika Everatt, Highwaytothemoon is out of High Society Gal, a mare by Society’s Chairman. Desruisseaux has also experienced success with other stakes runners in New York, including Church and State and Piper’s Gift. The trainer plans a strong presence at Belmont Park’s winter meet, which will be held exclusively on Tapeta, bringing 15 to 20 horses with hopes to claim promising runners and showcase young talent.
Among these is Glorious Gem, a recent maiden winner and an Ontario homebred owned by Hillsbrook Farms. By Tonalist and out of Like a Gem, she is a half-sister to Hard Not to Like, a three-time Grade 1 winner. Desruisseaux hopes she will compete in the Saratoga Dew Stakes, part of the Empire Trillium Series, a lucrative 14-race program for New York- and Canada-foaled horses.
The Empire Trillium Series begins December 26 with four maiden races restricted to 2-year-old horses from New York or Canada, each offering $85,000 purses and honoring notable runners like Channel Maker, Overskate, Fanfreluche, and Hard Not to Like. Nominations for this series close on November 20. More information is available on the NYRA website.
This article originally appeared in the News section of the Paulick Report on November 5, 2026.
Fan Take: This update highlights exciting cross-border competition and the rise of versatile horses like Highwaytothemoon, which enhances the appeal and depth of North American racing. The emphasis on the Empire Trillium Series also underlines ongoing efforts to promote locally bred talent and stimulate interest in regional racing circuits, key for the sport’s growth and sustainability.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
