by Chris Lomon / Woodbine
This story originally appeared here.
Ontario-bred Runaway Again, under Ryan Munger, pounced late to take Saturday’s $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.
Sent off as the 9-2 third choice in the event for 4-year-olds and up, last year’s Prince of Wales Stakes winner, making his third start of the year, earned his first graded stakes badge in the 1 1/8-mile main track tilt.
Paramount Prince, the 2023 King’s Plate winner, seized early command and reached the opening quarter in a tepid :24.96, followed by Saugeen, Runaway Again and Swift Delivery.
It was still Paramount Prince leading the way after a half in :50.63, as the multiple graded stakes winner looked to sprint away from his rivals around the final turn. Runaway Again, who enjoyed an ideal inside stalking trip, found room with about 300 yards to go as Munger directed his charge to the outside to take aim at the leader.
Second, 1 ½ lengths behind at the stretch call, Runaway Again struck front soon after and went on to eke out a neck win. A game Paramount Prince was second, followed by Swift Delivery and Wyoming Bill.
The final time was 1:50.63.
Trained by Sid Attard, it was the first graded victory for the 4-year-old gelded son of Hard Spun out of the Storm Cat mare Golden Venus, who has a reputation for being a handful.
“This horse is a challenging guy,” said Munger, who teamed with Brachetto earlier in the card to win the Marine Stakes (G3). “The trip was pretty straightforward. The one-horse [Paramount Prince] loves the front, so I thought I’m just going to follow him around, save ground and if I can get past him, I’ll probably just about be the winner. And that’s exactly how it panned out. He loves that stalking type of trip, which is how he won the Prince of Wales.”
Attard, who is closing in on 2,200 career victories, praised the Woodbine gate crew for their work with Runaway Again, who finished third in his first two starts of the year, including the bet365 Eclipse Stakes (G2) on May 30.
“First of all, I thank the gate crew, who schooled him,” said Attard, who now has 102 stakes victories. “They have done a beautiful job. He’s been doing really well and things worked out well. He’s going to get better and better.”
With the victory, Runaway Again, bred and owned by Frank Stronach, is 4-0-2 from eight starts. He broke his maiden at first asking, a 9 ¼-length triumph at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine main track on July 13, 2025.
He paid $11.20 for the Dominion Day win.
