By admin 
Seven hopefuls, including Powell River, will vie for top prize in the $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes Presented by Crown Royal, Saturday at Woodbine.
Read more Ohio State Football Unveils $142,000 Suites For 2026 Season
Trained by multiple graded stakes winner Katerina Vassilieva for owner and breeder Chiefswood Stables, the son of Justify out of Niigon’s Eclipse, a mare by Chiefswood’s 2004 King’s Plate winner Niigon, will make his fifth career start and first over the Toronto oval’s inner turf in the 1-mile test for 3-year-olds.
“I was very excited to train a Justify,” noted Vassilieva. “He’s very well-bred like so many of the Chiefswood horses, so it was an opportunity I was very much looking forward to. In the mornings, early on, he was just an okay work horse, but as soon as he got to the races and got that experience, he started to show more competitiveness in his works and in his races. He got better and better as he went along.”
Unraced at 2, Powell River made his career debut on the turf at Gulfstream in early March and finished second at 34-1 in the 7 ½-furlong test.
One race later, on May 1, this time over a mile on the Churchill Downs turf, he posted another runner-up performance, at 22-1.
“The first time out, at Gulfstream, he pleasantly surprised us that day with a very nice second,” said Vassilieva. “He had a throat issue at 2 and we weren’t sure how that would impact him in that first effort. He faced some high-calibre horses and ran extremely well.
“He ran another very nice race at Churchill following the race in Florida. It was on Oaks day and he really showed up at a big price. That effort, and his first one, further boosted our confidence in his abilities.”
Powell River headed to Woodbine for his next engagement, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on the main track on June 14. He took a narrow advantage in the seven-horse field into the first turn and was still on top along the backstretch. After surrendering the lead briefly, the chestnut colt, who had been under pressure throughout, reclaimed the lead and went on to post a 1 ½-length victory in 1:45.04.
Read more NFL: One-Game Suspensions Coming For Players Who Commit 3 Tackle Violations
His first try at the stakes level came in the Plate Trial, a key prep on the road to The King’s Plate, on July 19, where he finished off the board.
Vassilieva, who owns a 14-8-5 mark from 53 starts in 2026, expects Powell River will appreciate a return to the grass.
“We see that he has an affinity for the turf. Being a 3-year-old in Canada, we felt we had to follow the King’s Plate trail, which we did. Although he has won on the Tapeta here, inevitably, I think he will appreciate a return to the grass, and especially at the mile distance, which suits him.”
Jamar “Fly” Goddard is the groom.
Recent works: Powell River breezed four furlongs in :49.00 over the main track on Aug. 22.
“He’s in good shape and he’s fit from the races he’s had,” said Vassilieva. “He worked alone and had an easy half-mile to keep him happy and did it well within himself. He gave us the type of work we were looking for.”
Fast facts: Jockey Todd Kabel, who passed away in 2021, won seven editions of the Toronto Cup, including five straight from 2003-07. Trainer Mark Casse has sent out six winners, the most recent coming in 2020 with Proven Strategies.
Wagering menu for the Toronto Cup: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / $1 Swinger.
Read more The one thing the Miami Heat still have not addressed this offseason
Field for the Toronto Cup
- Teleport – Pietro Moran – Kevin Attard
- Aces Honor – Reylu Gutierrez – Ethan West
- Powell River – Ryan Munger – Katerina Vassilieva
- Chaos Agent – Rafael Hernandez – Josie Carroll
- Aretha – Fraser Aebly – Kevin Attard
- Running On Time – Eswan Flores – Mike De Paulo
- Final Score – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 1:24 PM.