Salute With Honor gets first stakes win in Durham Cup S. (G3)

Salute With Honor took the lead at the start of Sunday’s $125,000 Durham Cup S. (G3) at Woodbine and never looked back, winning the 1 1/16-mile contest by just over a length.

The 6-year-old Live Oak Plantation homebred is now 7-2-2 in 19 starts and has earned $299,158.

A son of To Honor and Serve, Salute With Honor was pushed along early by Roaring Forties, but got away from the field in the turn. After posting six furlongs in 1:11.78, he opened up by some three lengths in the stretch, then comfortably held off Skywire for the win.

The final time of 1:42.35 on the synthetic surface was just 0.21 seconds off the track record.

“He’s a horse that likes to be forwardly-placed,” said jockey Patrick Husbands. “I don’t touch him, he just does what he’s gotta do. I just be the pilot and relax on his back, and when I asked him, he gave me all he can give me.”

Salute With Honor is out of the Cryptoclearance mare Snow Cone, who has produced four additional winners. Snow Cone was a multiple stakes winner of more than $350,000.