Canadian Jockey Chases First U.S. Stakes Win at Belmont Park

Woodbine-based trainer Dale Desruisseaux will look to pick up his first stateside stakes score this Saturday at Belmont Park.

He sends out Highwaytothemoon in the $175,000 Carle Place, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for sophomores.

The race goes as Race 7 on the card at the Elmont, N.Y., track.

Highwaytothemoon is a 3-year-old Ransom the Moon gelding owned by Domenic Dilalla.

Desruisseaux has a significant string of horses wintering in New York this year.

A win Saturday would mark his first stakes victory on U.S. soil.

The horse has outperformed expectations all year.

He began his season in April at Woodbine, stretching out from a neck score versus elders going 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta.

That was his seasonal debut.

He then produced a pair of good outings at seven furlongs.

In May, he ran a prominent second in the King Corrie.

In June, he won the Queenston versus fellow Canadian-breds, leading from start to finish.

“We didn’t even have him eligible for the Triple Crown up here over the winter because I always thought he was a one-turn horse, but he took us on a ride,” Desruisseaux told the Paulick Report.

Despite that early assessment, the gelding stretched out to nine furlongs in July.

He won the Plate Trial versus fellow Canadian-breds with a stalking score.

That set him up for the King’s Plate in August, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, at 10 furlongs.

He finished a troubled ninth.

“He had a rough trip in the Plate,” Desruisseaux said.

“Turning for home, he got bounced around, and my jock said it took the air out of him.

It didn’t give us a true feeling on the race, and that’s why we decided to go onto the next one.”

Desruisseaux gave the versatile bay one more try going long in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series.

That was the Prince of Wales over 1 3/16 miles on the Fort Erie dirt.

Highwaytothemoon finished a non-threatening seventh.

“I think he was that typical stereotype of a horse that you can get them to go long once,” Desruisseaux said.

“He showed us in the second leg that he didn’t want to go that far.

He had a good trip in the next leg and didn’t fire turning for home.”

The trainer turned back sharply in distance for the next start.

On October 10, Highwaytothemoon ran in the 6 1/2-furlong Sophomore over the Woodbine Tapeta.

He closed for second, beaten one length.

Jose Campos was up.

Highwaytothemoon saved ground in last of five after exiting the inside post.

My Covenant showed the way through a half-mile in 45.97 seconds.

My Covenant held a two-length advantage at the stretch call.

Highwaytothemoon cut the corner and took aim at the leader.

My Covenant would not be denied the one-length score, his third straight victory, in a final time of 1:16.03.

“He was a little further back than I would have liked to see him last time, especially when ...”

Desruisseaux said, trailing off in the source report.

Now the gelding moves to turf for the Carle Place.

He has not raced on grass since his 2-year-old season, according to available records.

The six-furlong distance suits the one-turn profile Desruisseaux always suspected was his best fit.

Belmont’s inner turf course is tight and favors horses with tactical speed.

Highwaytothemoon has shown he can rate just off the pace or press from the front.

The Carle Place drew a competitive field of sophomores.

Post positions and morning-line odds were not available in the source material at time of writing.

Desruisseaux’s move to winter in New York signals a broader ambition.

Woodbine-based trainers have increasingly targeted Belmont’s winter and spring meets.

The New York Racing Association recently published the condition book for the Belmont winter meet online.

A stakes win Saturday would validate that strategy for Desruisseaux.

It would also give Highwaytothemoon a career-defining result after a year of experimenting with distance.

The gelding has now run on Tapeta, dirt and turf.

He has won at 5 1/2 furlongs, seven furlongs and nine furlongs.

His record in 2026 stands at three wins, two seconds and one third from nine starts, per the source material.

Total earnings were not specified in the available reports.

The King’s Plate trouble remains a lingering what-if.

Desruisseaux’s description of the trip — getting bounced around turning for home, losing momentum — suggests the horse may have been better than the ninth-place finish shows.

The Prince of Wales was a cleaner trip but a flat result.

That race confirmed the distance ceiling.

Now back at a sprint on turf, the gelding faces a fresh test.