First Winners for New Ontario Owners Bechtel, Rutledge

Last week saw a slew of Canadian-based horses and/or horsepeople doing well in races and claiming horses at tracks throughout the United States.

Two notable winners in Florida at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs gave their respective owners their first visit to the winner’s circle.

Ontario owner GLENN BECHTEL celebrated his first winner as a sole owner at Gulfstream Park on Thursday, January 25 when WORLDLY BEAUTY held on to win a $16,000 claiming race by a head. The dark bay daughter of Commissioner was making her second start for Bechtel and trainer MARTIN DREXLER after 10 starts for a partnership that included Bechtel, Blazing Meadows Farm and Robert Tribbett.

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Worldly Beauty was third in her first race for Bechtel, a $25,000 claiming race at Woodbine on Dec. 7. A four-year-old, Worldy Beauty was ridden by Tyler Gafflione.

The red-hot Drexler barn had also won the day before when the nine-year-old Ontario-bred DESOLATOR was up in the last strides to win a turf claiming race, $25,000, by a head with a 79 Beyer Speed Figure. The son of Court Vision – Flashy Episode by Bold n’ Flashy was making just his second start for owner Franco Meli who claimed him for $10,000 from a second-place finish in October at Woodbine. Desolator was bred by Brian O’Leary and Jamie Begg.

Read more about Drexler’s roll that continued on January 27 here.

At Tampa Bay Downs, owner ANGELA RUTLEDGE celebrated her first win as an owner with JOURNEYMAN, whom she owns in partnership with Mike Wright Jr. Journeyman, an eight-year-old gelding by Animal Kingdom, raced four wide throughout a starter allowance worth $28,000 and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths for trainer Mike Wright.

Rutledge claimed her first horse, Humor Me Jim, last year with trainer and brother Pat County Jr. She only had that filly for one race and then claimed Scored for $40,000. Scored was recently third in a maiden race at Gulfstream with trainer Jose d’Angelo.

This was the first race for Journeyman with Rutledge as a co-owner. Bred by Godolphin, Journeyman is a classy old-timer with eight wins from 43 races and earnings of $362,159. He has had eight different owners and was claimed by Mike Wright Jr. and Katie Wright for $35,000 last February.

Other winners last week with ties to Canadian racing include Colebrook Farms, which won with NOT TODAY in a maiden race at Mahoning Valley (Kevin Buttigieg trainer). Not Today is the newest winner for longtime Ontario stallion Where’s the Ring and his dam Miss Defy is by Tethra.

Steven Chircop continued his hot streak with wins by DIAMOND HEIST, a son of Danish Dynaformer, an Ontario sire, who won a starter/optional claiming race for Premier Stable at Penn National on Jan. 25. Chircop came right back with the regally bred LLOYD (Bernardini – French Park, by Ecton Park) who won a $10,000 maiden race in the slop on Jan. 26. It was the third career race for Lloyd, who is owned by Chircop.