Two springs ago, Chiefswood Stables’ SIMCOE, a dark bay son of Uncle Mo, was looking like a possible King’s Plate contender for his owners and trainer Katerina Vassilieva. After beginning his career in Florida early in 2023, he won two straight races at Woodbine at 1 1/16 miles before he had a troubled trip in the Marine Stakes (G3) when finishing fifth.
The rest of 2023 didn’t go well for Simcoe, as he was 11th in both the Plate Trial and Breeders’ Stakes on turf and fifth in a Tapeta optional claiming race in December. Simcoe did not reappear at the races until this past October when he had mixed results in two distance races.
But on November 24, Vassilieva and the Chiefswood team started Simcoe in a seven-furlong, one-turn Tapeta optional dash and suddenly, the gelding’s second-place finish saw him post a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. He had two more close runner-up finishes at Woodbine and Turfway Park in Florence, flying to two straight wins, each with 100 Beyer Figures.
Simcoe’s latest win on March 15 saw him battle on the pace under apprentice rider Irving Moncada and power clear to win by two lengths in 1:15.67 for 6 1/2 furlongs. Second in the race was the graded stakes-placed Dhanab.
The five-year-old is on track to return to Woodbine as a prospect for the sprint stakes events where he could meet champion Patches O’Houlihan. The first sprint stakes race for older males is usually the Thorncliffe Stakes in May at 5 1/2 furlongs followed by the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes in early June. The stakes schedule for 2025 has yet to be released.
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Owner Barry Holmes and trainer Gail Cox celebrated a win at Gulfstream Park on March 14 with Ontario-bred INCOMING (Flameaway – Gem Thief by Shanghai Bobby). Incoming was making his second career start in the five-furlong Tapeta dash and he rallied late to win by three-quarters of a length under John Velazquez. The gelding ran the distance in 56.61 for a 66 Beyer Figure. Incoming was bred by Deb and Barry Holmes’ Phoenix Rising Farm and born and raised at Sue Foreman’s farm near Orangeville.
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Nick Gonzalez sent out his horse HUMAN DESIRE to win his maiden on March 12 in a mile and 70 yard race at Gulfstream. The Ontario-bred three-year-old by Army Mule won the $50,000 claiming race in 1:42.65 for a 58 Beyer Figure. Bred by Yvonne Schwabe, Human Desire is from a mare who is a full sister to 2013 Plate winner Midnight Aria, who was also trained by Gonzalez. Gonzalez lost Human Desire through the claim box as the ridgling was taken by trainer Jose d’Angelo.
