There were two graded stakes races at Woodbine on June 3 and both were won by Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation horses trained by Mark Casse and masterfully ridden by Patrick Husbands.
The biggest win was the Belle Mahone Stakes (G3) score by SOUPER HOITY TOITY, who held off Horse of the Year Moira after setting a slow pace through the 1 1/16 mile race on Tapeta. That win came just one race after the Live Oak, Casse and Husbands team combined with OUR FLASH DRIVE to win the Royal North Stakes (G2) on the turf.
Moira was hammered down to 1-to-5 for the Belle Mahone, the first race this year for the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly of 2022. Moira, who won the Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate, had been idle since her Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) outing last fall at Keeneland where she finished a rallying fifth.
Ridden for the first time by Kazushi Kimura, Woodbine’s leading rider, Moira was tucked in behind the pedestrian pace set by the crafty Husbands on Souper Hoity Toity. That filly, who would have been last year’s champion filly had it not been for Moira, went 25.26, 50.25, and 1:14.84 while being pressed by Il Malocchio and Saratoga Vision to her outside.
Il Malocchio took a short lead off the final turn but Souper Hoity Toity had lots in reserve and darted clear while Moira and Kimura swung out three wide and rallied strongly, but came up about half a length shy. Godolphin’s Purrfect finished third. The final time was a solid 1:44.49.
“The only way I knew I could beat [Moira] today is I [had to] walk this race,” said Husbands about getting Souper Hoity Toity to the early lead and slowing the pace down. “Halfway down the lane I tried to edge her out and she catch [my horse’s quarter] but she dug back in, She’s all guts.”
Souper Hoity Toity had the benefit of a race under her girth in 2023, a troubled seventh-place finish in the Sand Springs Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream in Florida on April 1. Last year as a sophomore, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo – Town Tour by Speightstown won three of four races, all stakes at Woodbine, but she never met Moira, who is a Canadian-bred.
The Belle Mahone was the sixth win from 10 races for Souper Hoity Toity, who now has over $368,000 in earnings.
Moira was strong in defeat considering it was her first race since November. The Kevin Attard-trained filly, who probably should have won the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes last fall at Woodbine but for a tough trip (and a subsequent disqualification) will no doubt move forward off that outing, especially if she gets on the turf.
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OUR FLASH DRIVE has made a fascinating transition from distance horse to sharp sprinter for the Casse conglomerate. The Ghostzapper – Dynamotor by Dynaformer five-year-old who was a top three-year-old filly in 2021 and four-year-old last year, went from graded stakes wins in route races on turf to a win in the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes last November at Woodbine.
She began 2023 with a win in the six-furlong Whimsical Stakes (G3) on Tapeta before switching back to grass for the 6 1/2 furlong Royal North on turf.
Husbands kept the bay filly in close attendance to front runner Forest Drift, an Ontario-bred, and sensing that the leader was going to be tough on the pace, gave an early cue to Our Flash Drive. With her head turned to the grandstand, Our Flash Drive steadily got past Forest Drift and grabbed the win while Lordship Stud’s Sweet Enough (GB), trained by Roger Attfield, got second over a closing Millie Girl from the Catherine Day Phillips barn.
The time for the race was a fast 1:13.88.
Our Flash Drive has seven wins from 16 races and earnings of over $625,000.
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MIKE MATTINE saddled two winners on June 3 starting with Stacey Van Camp’s TAKE CHARGE SOUSI who won a maiden special weight, race 1, at 6 1/2 furlongs. The son of Will Take Charge – Sans Sousi by Bold Executive was making his 10th career start and second this year. Bred by Charles Hayden, Take Charge Sousi was a $17.000 yearling purchase at the 2020 CTHS Ontario sale. The four-year-old picked up $52,680 for the maiden win, bringing his total career earnings to over $97,000.
Mattine also won race 3 with GIZMO’S B F F for P413 Racing. Eswan Flores rode the five-year-old mare to victory off just a six-day rest from a troubled outing for $23,500 claiming on May 27.
Owner/trainer KEITH EDWARDS watched his filly CRAFTY OAKS upset the maiden allowance race for two-year-old fillies, race 5 on Saturday. The $2,000 Fasig Tipton October yearling purchase by The Big Beast ran down loose front runner Pipit (Quality Road) to win at 28-to-1. Desean Bynoe was winning his first race ever at Woodbine.
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