Trainers Don MacRae, Krista Cole, John Mattine, Mark Casse, Robert Tiller, Bill Tharrenos, Katrina Vassilieva, Debra Rombis and Tino Attard were multiple winners last week at Woodbine as the track gets ready to slide into November.
The troops are beginning to thin out with horses being sent to the farm or the U.S. and, starting Thursday this week, some races for $5,000 claiming have been carded. With news that stables such as that of Kevin Attard may move to the U.S. headlining industry news regarding Section 31 of the tax bill plus the apparent large contingent of horses headed to New York for the Empire series, the horse population may get quite low.
Currently there are 156 Ontario bred juveniles nominated to the series to 576 New York breds. Older horses are nominated by November 20 and the series begins on the Belmont Tapeta on Dec. 26.
One of the fastest races of the weekend was the sizzling 1:21.66 that Champion 2-Year-Old colt of 2024 HE’S NOT JOKING posted in an allowance/optional claiming race for the Di Scola Boys Stable on Oct. 25. The victory was the first for the Practical Joke Kentucky bred since he won the Grade 3 Grey Stakes two years ago. In 10 races since then the Josie Carroll trainee raced on dirt and Tapeta and grass at various tracks.
It was the turn-back to 7 furlongs that seemed to do the track for He’s Not Joking this weekend as he had a fast pace to run at and he was up to win by a neck with apprentice Christoff Douglas riding. The form pattern of He’s Not Joking is similar to that of Notorious Gangster from the Carroll barn; as advanced juveniles these horses can win route races but many times they are better in one-turn events.
The racing at Woodbine last weekend was quite formful except for the 56 to 1 bomb by GOLDEN HARVEST on the turf against maiden fillies on Saturday. The Maxfield – Gold Medallist gal, owned by Don Ferguson Farms and Adam Campbell. An off the pace type, Golden Harvest had been a distant third in a prewvious race on turf, one of her better previous races. On Saturday she got a much faster pace to run at under jockey Jeff Alderson and won by 2 1/4 lengths in her ninth career race. Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, Golden Harvest was a $140,000 Fasig Tipton October yearling purchase.
Second behind Golden Harvest was Chiefswood Stables’ Just in Touch, who ran much farther than the ‘about’ 1 1/8 mile distance after a very wide journey.
Six horses are tied with four wins each at Woodbine for 2026, putting them second to several horses across Canada. This past week, Delta Force, I Got Murphed and Ciunas all won for the fourth time this year.
Debut winner SLAYSTER, a son of Speightster owned and bred by Jay and Christine Hayden, broke down after the finish line in a $25,000 claiming race on the grass on Oct. 23 and was euthannized. The 4-year-old colt debuted in August and won a $102,000 maiden special weight but had finished far back in subsequent races.
Rolph Davis’ HUMBER RIVER earned a whopping $75,000 for winning an optional claiming race ($32,000) and giving Robert Tiller his 23nd win of the year (and 2,211th career win!). The grey son of Frac Daddy won a 1 1/16 mile race on Tapeta, his first win since almost exactly one year ago when he won a seven furlong allowance event. He was switching back to Tapeta after two attempts on the grass, a surface his stakes winning dam Miss Sea loved. Pine Valley Training Centre is the breeder.
Humber River’s time of 1:43.11 was good for an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, one of the highest of the week.
The last race on Saturday offered fans a mandatory payout of the Jackpot High 5, in which you must pick the first 5 finishers. The race was a tricky five furlong turf sprint which many of the contenders drawing outside posts. The winner was CHROMEPLATED HEART ($23) who had a miraculous run from far back under Jeff Alderson to win for Debra Rombis and her Against the Wind Stable. The High 5 paid $23,000 as the fans choices did not fare well.
The final race on October 24 with Chromeplated Heart (#2)
More News
