Canada’s top 3-year-old fillies will race for $500,000 on Sunday, July 24th in the Woodbine Oaks, the premier race for fillies bred in this country. The 1 1/8 mile race on the Tapeta goes a long way to boosting not only the pocketbooks of the owner, trainer, and breeder of the winner, but can lead to a championship and even a start in the August 21st Queen’s Plate.
The Oaks, which is race 9 on Sunday, comes two races after the 1 1/8 mile Plate Trial (see preview below Oaks preview), which gives some of the top sophomore colts and geldings a chance to earn a trip to the Plate. The Trial is race 7.
Sunday’s card also features the Grade 2 $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes and Grade 3 $150,000 Hendrie Stakes.
This year’s Oaks field, while fairly full with 10 fillies, has come up a little light compared to past years. MOIRA (Ghostzapper) will be a strong favourite as the only stakes winner in the field for trainer Kevin Attard, who won last year’s Oaks with Munnyfor Ro.
Moira, who won the Princess Elizabeth Stakes in her career debut last fall, won the seven furlong Fury Stakes to start her 2022 campaign, paired up her previous top Beyer Speed Figure of 74 with that win for X-Men Racing, a Canadian syndicate and American stables Madaket and SF Bloodstock.
Speed figure players will note that Moira, who will be ridden by Rafael Hernandez, should have a move forward as she gets to stretch out in distance. But going into the race, there are rivals in the field that also have Beyer Figures in the 70s who could enter contention.
Stakes-placed PIONEER’S EDGE, a light-framed, grey daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, almost beat Moira in the Fury Stakes and the addition of Lasix for the filly on Sunday likely explains her fading fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes. Trained by Josie Carroll for owners and breeders Chiefswood Stable, Pioneer’s Edge will be ridden by Justin Stein.
Recent maiden winner SISTER SEAGULL (Hard Spun) is owned and was bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry who have won the Oaks before (Dixie Moon) with their trainer Catherine Day Phillips. This filly rallied from far back to win her maiden on June 5 with a 73 Beyer Figure. Antonio Gallardo rides.
The wild card is Shadwell Stables’ SAHLABIYA, trained by Chad Brown. The most expensive horse ever sold by David Anderson’s Anderson Farms at $1.6 million is a promising filly who is still a maiden after two races at Belmont Park on the turf. She was third in her debut and second in her latest at 1 1/8 miles, with 78 and 77 Beyer Figures respectively. Leading rider Kazushi Kimura will ride the daughter of Medaglia D’Oro.
SOUPER FLASHY (Souper Speedy) is a contender if she can successfully negotiate the distance. Owned and bred by Terra Farms of Dom Romeo and family, Souper Flashy was second in the Princess Elizabeth and won a six-furlong sprint with a 75 Beyer Figure to begin 2022. She was recently fourth in the Fury Stakes. Luis Contreras will ride for trainer Kevin Attard.
The other starters who have run higher than a 70 Beyer Figure include LOADED VIXEN (77) who comes off her maiden win at seven furlongs with a speed style in her second start since being claimed for $25,000 by Bruno Schickedanz. Loaded Vixen was supplemented to the field at a cost of $12,500 as she was not originally nominated to the Oaks. Patrick Husbands rides. And MACCOOL’S GIRL, another Chiefswood-bred filly, posted a 71 Beyer when fourth in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on July 2.
Also supplemented to the Oaks for $12,500 is BYZMALINE (68 Beyer), a maiden winner on May 14 when claimed by Anthony DiPaola and trainer Santino DiPaola.
Maiden winner SWOOP TO FINISH will start for Sam-Son Farms and Gail Cox, trainer, and maiden filly CURLIN CANDY is coming off three straight second-place finishes for Zilli Racing and trainer Mike DePaulo.
The $150,000 Plate Trial has nine colts and geldings going the nine furlongs carrying the Plate weight of 126 pounds. While one of the favourites for the Plate, RONDURE, is not in the field, the unbeaten THE MINKSTER (English Channel) will be heavily favoured.
As the lone stakes winner in the field, the colt won the Coronation Futurity at the distance last fall and took the Queenston at seven furlongs in his 2022 return. David Moran rides for owners Ray and Debbie Burke and trainer Dan Vella. The Minkster earned an 86 Beyer Figure in the Queenston.
His challengers included Sam-Son Farms’ DANCIN IN DA’NILE (Pioneerof the Nile) who was second in the Coronation and a troubled third in his season debut on turf for trainer Gail Cox. Rafael Hernandez rides the colt for the first time.
Chiefswood Stables is also represented in the Trial with recent Belmont maiden winner CAUSIN MAYHEM, trained by Todd Pletcher. The son of Into Mischief led all the way to win a one-turn, one mile race in the mud with an 84 Beyer on June 3.
DUKE OF LOVE, owned by the US-based racing syndicate MyRacehorse, has 27 Canadian shareholders. The Cupid colt was second in the Marine Stakes to Rondure and he is trained by Josie Carroll.
HALL OF DREAMS won his maiden at 1 1/8 miles with a 76 Beyer for Gary Barber and partners and trainer Mark Casse. He has a new rider in Patrick Husbands as Kazushi Kimura will ride Causin Mayhem.
The Trial’s wildcard is Heste Sport’s SIR FOR SURE, a maiden winner at Gulfstream with a 74 Beyer Figure. The Sligo Bay gelding flopped in the seven furlong Queenston, but the longer distance helps.
Maidens Guard of Honor and Bill Needle (supplemented) plus three-time winner Lac Macaza (supplemented) complete the field.
$150,000 PLATE TRIAL (race 7)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Guard of Honour – Rafael Hernandez – Gail Cox
2 – Hall of Dreams – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
3 – Bill Needle (S) – Antonio Gallardo – Catherine Day Phillips
4 – Duke of Love – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
5 – Causin’ Mayhem – Kazushi Kimura – Todd Pletcher
6 – Lac Macaza (S) – Luis Contreras – Julia Carey
7 – Dancin in Da’nile – Rafael Hernandez – Gail Cox
8 – The Minkster – David Moran – Daniel Vella
9 – Sir for Sure – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
$500,000 WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY BUDWEISER (race 9)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Swoop to Finish – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Gail Cox
2 – Souper Flashy – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard
3 – Moira – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
4 – Loaded Vixen – Patrick Husbands – Mike Dunslow
5 – Maccool’s Girl – Steven Bahen – Rachel Halden
6 – Sahlabiya – Kazushi Kimura – Chad Brown
7 – Sister Seagull – Antonio Gallardo – Catherine Day Phillips
8 – Bizymaline – Declan Carroll – Santino Di Paola
9 – Curlin Candy – Gary Boulanger – Mike De Paulo
10 – Pioneer’s Edge – Justin Stein – Josie Carroll
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