Twenty-three different trainers won the 36 races that were held last week at Woodbine, and seven winning trainers were women.
Beginning with last Thursday’s card, which had four women trainers win races, the ladies have been thriving with their horses.
Debra Rombis, Michelle Love, Bev Chubb and Gail Cox won races on Thursday. For Cox, Caught Speeding was her first winner of the meeting and the speedy gelding was one of three winners in a row for jockey Sahin Civaci that day.
On Friday, Sarah Ritchie sent out THIS DUDE A BREEZE to win in gate-to-wire fashion in a starter optional under thinking rider Rafael Hernandez. This Dude a Breeze earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for owners Oslen Belle and Barry Arnason of Manitoba.
Also Friday, KRISTA COLE won with longshot FOURLEGSGOOD in a maiden race. The bay gelding by Vino Rosso – Dicey Girl by Yonaguska was making just his third career start and he led from start to finish with a drop from $40,000 claiming to $10,000. Owned by Cole and Bay Ridge Orchards, Fourlegsgood was ridden by Ryan Munger.
Cole came back and won on Sunday with speedy BANKINGONAMIRACLE, who won for $40,000 claiming in his second race of the season. Owned by Cole and David Padayachee, Bankingonamiracle is a New York-bred by Central Banker.
Also on Sunday, Josie Carroll sent out smart debut winner CORSIA VELOCE to win her two-year-old debut for Glenn Sikura and Maria Serrani, who bred the Practical Joke filly from Beth’s Bling by City Zip. Fraser Aebly rode the bay filly, who is a half-sister to the good winner Corsi.
Speaking of nifty debut winners, CIUNAS came from a rocky start and last place to win his debut as a three-year-old on Sunday. A grey son of Silent Name (Jpn) – Myrtle’s Grey by Oratory, Ciunas had fast workout times coming into the optional maiden race ($40,000). The half-brother to stakes-calibre Gray’s Fable had Civaci on board, replacing Emma-Jayne Wilson who was off her mounts due to a spill on Friday, and he circled the field and won impressively for owner/breeder Jeff Zlonis and Richard Hogan and trainer Roger Attfield.
And American trainer Wesley Ward sent up his $330,000 purchase MONTEREY BAY once again, and the bay gelding won his maiden from post 11 in a turf sprint, drawing off to win by 2 3/5 lengths in 1:20.75 for seven furlongs. The son of Good Magic – Bola de Cristal (Ire) by Galileo (Ire) is a King’s Plate eligible and a Plate Trial nominee, although the latter race is in just two weeks.
Monterey Bay was third in a maiden race last year and a close second at Churchill Downs in his return from a long layoff. The gelding was bred by Jay and Christina Hayden’s Saintsbury Farm.
SAHIN CIVACI, Canada’s Sovereign Award-winning jockey of 2024, won six races last week, but there could have been at least one more but for bad luck in a turf race on Saturday.
In the day’s 4th race, Civaci and Sweet Passions were ready to blow by rivals in deep stretch on the grass but when a narrow opening appeared and the pair went for it, it closed up fast (see video at 8 second mark and 22 second mark). It appeared that the winner, Enduring, with Xarel Forde, came out just as Sweet Passions was moving into the hole. There was no change to the order of finish.
Mark Casse’s barn won six races, plus a host of others in the US.
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