Is the J. W. Sifton Memorial trophy the last of the year for Spying Eyes?

Did Spying Eyes clinch top colt and gelding honours Saturday with his impressive victory in the J. W. Sifton Memorial?  And did his win over 2007 Horse of the Year, Eight By Ten secure him 2008 horse of the year honours as well?

Top filly Queen Tina and Top Older Horse Brinello will have something to say about whose trophy case gets the hardware.

Capping off a very successful sophomore season, Spying Eyes sat in behind leaders Eight By Ten and Battlestation, the Gold Strike Mile winner caught, Eight By Ten by surprise making what could be called the Manitoba-bred equivalent of a Prime Time TV like move going into the far turn.

“They were just idling on the lead and I had so much horse,” said jockey Rohan Singh of Spying Eyes, “When it comes to running you have to just let him run.”

Spying Eyes completes his 3-year-old campaign with four wins out of 10 starts including a victory in the $20,000 Gold Strike Mile and a third in the $50,000 Frank Arnason Sire Stakes and more than $70,000 in earnings this year. 

“He’s a nice horse, and he’s sound,” said Gray, “We look forward to next year.”

Eight By Ten, trained by Lise Pruitt, battled for the lead with Battlestation throughout the backstretch but could not keep up with Spying Eyes on the turn.  Eight by Ten battled back in the stretch but came up second best.  The two leaders opened up more than 12 lengths on the rest of the field.

Pulledmeout, owned and trained by Doug Mustard, sat at the back of the pack down the backstretch and was able to rally for third. 

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