Highwaytothemoon paved his own road to the win circle, earning his first career stakes’ win, by authoring a wire-to-wire score in Sunday’s $125,000 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine. ​ ​ ​

The Queenston is a key prep on the road to the $1,000,000 King’s Plate; the 167th edition to be run at Woodbine on Saturday Aug. 15. ​ ​

The gelded son of Ransom the Moon was bred in Ontario by Shannondoe Farm principals Arika Everatt and her parents James Everatt and Janeane Everatt. He’s also the first Stakes winner out of mare by Shannondoe’s terrific stallion Society’s Chairman.

Ridden by Rafael Hernandez, the son of Ransom The Moon out of High Society Gal (Society’s Chairman), broke sharply and led the field of six through an opening quarter-mile in 23.06. ​Thundermaker was second, while post time favourite Military Time stalked inside in third, just off the top pairing. Brachetto was 3 ½ ​ lengths off the top flight in fourth, with longshot Amore Mio in fifth and Believein trailing the field of 6. ​ ​

The top four remained in the same order through an opening half-mile in 46.45, as Thundermaker loomed outside, off the flank of Highwaytothemoon. ​

Trained by Dale Desruisseaux, Highwaytothemoon rolled into the stretch, shook clear of Thundermaker, but now braced for the challenge of Military Time, who was closing vigorously in the three-path. ​ ​

Inside the 1/8th pole, a focused Highwaytothemoon was kept to task by Hernandez and held sway smartly to win the seven-furlong King’s Plate prep for 3-year-olds foaled in Canada, in a final time of 1:23.25. ​ ​

Hernandez, Highwaytothemoon’s regular rider during his 2-year-old campaign, was reunited with the bay gelding, after riding the Mark Casse-trained Casson to a 1 1/2 length victory over Highwaytothemoon in the seven-furlong King Corrie Stakes on May 17. ​ ​

“Big change from cold to hot now, you know muggy and everything so some horses react like that, but nothing affect the race,” said Hernandez, who is now 3 for 5 aboard Highwaytothemoon