The lone stakes race this weekend at Woodbine, the Alywow overnight dash on turf for three-year-old fillies, likely won’t be the focus of racing fans and horsepeople of the 20 races this weekend.
There are seven fillies entered in the 6 1/2 furlong Alywow, named after a Canadian Horse of the Year for Kinghaven Farms, and four of them are trained by Mark Casse. Red-hot rider Rafael Hernandez is on board one of the major contenders in the race, STORMCAST, an Ontario-bred by sprint star Mitole. While eligible for the Woodbine Oaks on July 20, Stormcast appears to be a shorter distance gal for K E M Racing (co-owners of American three-year-old Honor Marie). A winner of a maiden race at seven furlongs on turf last fall, Stormcast was a solid second in the Honey Ryder Stakes in her 2024 opener at Gulfstream in early May at 1 mile. The winner of that race, De Regresso,, came back to win the Martha Washington Stakes on June 8 with an 83 Beyer Figure and the fourth-place finisher, Dazzling Move (also an Oaks contender), came back to win an allowance race with an 81 Beyer.
Stormcast was bred by Dr. Tan Hyka.
Two other Alywow starters were in the Honey Ryder Stakes, Zo Lee, from the Kelsey Danner barn, and another Casse entrant, Karaya.
But it is race 9 on Saturday that will attract much interest as early Oaks favourite (and perhaps a King’s Plate contender) INUDATION makes her 2024 season debut in a 1 1/16 mile allowance/optional race on Tapeta. The daughter of Collected was last seen winning her maiden in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes in November,
Inudation, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling and trained by Kevin Attard, competes against other Oaks contenders Kin’s Concerto, A Little Frisky and My Girl Della.
On Sunday, a number of maiden races could yield a King’s Plate starter or two. In race 1, Bedard and Bowman’s Run, both trained by Kevin Attard, are in a 1 1/16 mile maiden special weight. Race 6, on the grass, has a collection of Plate eligibles including Rideau Hall who has a super debut outing behind stunning winner Playmea Tune and Aryeh, a Lemon Drop Kid stretching out in distance for trainer Darwin Banach. Also Sunday, Jokestar, who put up an 81 Beyer in his season debut for the Ulwellings, takes on well-regarded Pierre, also owned by the Ulwellings.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
