There is a new guy on the block at Woodbine and he might be the ruler of the sprint division this summer.
ANARCHIST, owned by Angelo Freda’s Ilium Stables and trained by Josie Carroll, sped to a big win in the $150,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes on May 14, defeating a hot field including last year’s Cartier winner Arzak.
The son of Distorted Humor (now with 72 graded stakes winning foals) began his career at Tampa Bay Downs a year ago and then raced in Kentucky and most recently, California. He placed in two Grade 3 sprint stakes on dirt and turf at Santa Anita before he was shipped east.
His only workout at Woodbine on the Tapeta surface – which he had never tried – was a May 9 breeze in 48.40. Despite the new surroundings and surface, the bay four-year-old colt and jockey Luis Contreras was quickly alongside Arzak, who was coming off a layoff, before darting away to win by 3/4 of a length ahead of longshot Ice Chocolat (BRZ). Old Chestnut was third.
The time for 6 furlongs of 1:08.96 was good for a hefty 97 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Freda, who hails from New York, has raced horses at Woodbine for just over two years and his previous best horse in Ontario was Tecumseh’s War.
Anarchist was bred in Kentucky by Centaur Farms and he was bought by Freda for $75,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. The colt’s 2nd career win plus five second-place finishes in eight races has earned him just over $201,000.
***
On Mother’s Day, jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson had three victories to cap a five-win week.
Wilson won on ORPHAN HALLIE, who rallied up the rail to win a $23,500 claiming sprint, race 1, for trainer Ravendra Raghunth. Orphan Hallie is owned by Sheila Mohan and the gelding is a son of Souper Speedy.
Wilson also won on Lanni Bloodstock’s HICKSY, trained by Kevin Attard, and the gritty filly SILENT GHOST, owned by Zilli Stables and trained by Steven Chircop.
And Chircop had a big day as he added another win in race 6 with AIM FOR THE SKY who took an allowance/optional claiming worth $111,000. It was the first win for Aim for the Sky, an Ontario-bred by Sky Mesa, since November 2020. The six-year-old gelding, notorious for his second-place finishes (he has 11), held off Niagara Skyline to win the 5 1/2 furlong race under Rico Walcott. It was the first Woodbine win for Walcott, a champion jockey from Alberta.
***
Bettors Say Ouch – It is one of the oldest rules in horse racing wagering in North America and one of the worst.
Bettors of the Early Pick 5 and Pick 4 at Woodbine on May 14 who only had contenders COTTON and NAPA SPIRIT, both owned by Bruno Schickedanz, were left hanging when both horses were scratched at the gate. Cotton acted up and injured his stablemate.
Meanwhile, bettors who had only one or both of those guys, automatically got eventual race favoured WIND OF CHANGE (Brz) on their tickets. Wind of Change, a Florida stakes winner who had not raced since December and was suddenly dropping in for $32,000 claiming, was not a good replacement. The Saffie Joseph trainee had just one workout since March 31 and he was outrun throughout the race.
The last race on the May 14 card was also a head-scratcher. Heavily favoured HONEY WON’T, fresh off a big win in his season debut for owner Teresa Brine and trainer Joe Russo on April 30, had a strong Beyer Figure advantage on his rivals in the 7 furlong race. But the gelding was allowed to drop well back early in the race, opposite of his usual style of running, and his rally under light handling was too late.
His stablemate Master Spy, at 20-to-1, was the winner with a good, wide rally under jockey Steve Jadoo.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
