Cool Kiss, sent off at 17-1, got up in the final jumps to win the $112,348 Durham Cup Stakes (G3) Sept. 20 at Woodbine.
Multiple graded stakes winner Paramount Prince drove to the early lead in the 1 1/16-mile main track feature for 3-year-olds and up, with last year's Durham Cup winner Dresden Row, the even-money choice, shadowing the pacesetter to his outside into the opening turn, as Cool Kiss settled into third.
Paramount Prince, the 2023 King's Plate Stakes winner for Gary Barber and Michael Langlois, held a one-length lead over Dresden Row through early fractions of :24.08 and :47.59, while a patient Sahin Civaci aboard Cool Kiss kept close tabs on the front-running duo from third.
As the field came off the turn for home, Dresden Row took a narrow advantage over a game Paramount Prince, but Cool Kiss began to gain ground and with a strong outside surge, got up to best Dresden Row by a neck for the win. Paramount Prince was another 4 1/2 lengths back in third and Playmea Tune was fourth.
The final time was 1:42.74. Cool Kiss paid $36.90 for today's win.
It was the first stakes triumph for the son of Kantharos , who is trained by Martin Drexler, who claimed the dark bay or brown gelding for CA$40,000 last October for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman.
With the win, Cool Kiss, bred in Ontario by Phoenix Racing, is now 4-4-1 from 23 starts.
