William T rolls into Saturday’s $175,000 HPIbet Autumn Stakes (G3) at Woodbine in peak form. The 1 1/8-mile main track event for three-year-olds and up has drawn six starters, including William T, who took the Durham Cup (G3), a 1 1/16-mile main track feature for three-year-olds and up, on Sept. 19.
It was the first graded stakes triumph and second straight victory for the four-year-old son of Frosted out of the Hard Spun mare Upper Brass.
“I would say it was a bit of a surprise,” said MacRae. “We supplemented him to the race, so it was a last-minute thing, but everything just seemed to fall together. I was hoping he would run second or third, but he ran the race of his life and stepped up huge.
“He had every right halfway down the lane to be relegated to second, but he showed a great amount of determination. The last five or six strides, he showed what a good horse is supposed to do.”
Once race earlier, William T romped to a 5 ¼-length score at the same distance in a race originally slated for the turf on Aug. 23. “The win in August, I did see that coming. We struggled getting races that were two turns – he kind of needs that – so when we did get that opportunity, we hoped and believed he would come up with a big effort, and he did.”
Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms (Ontario) Inc., William T is 3-5-2 from 11 starts, with $261,487 in purse earnings. “He’s in good order and he’s ready to run,” said MacRae. “We just need to get him in the gate now. One of the big things we have done with him is take his tongue tie off. We put them on a lot of horses, but it seemed to be bothering him, so one day we said, ‘Forget it. Let’s take it off.’ And it’s relaxed him and it’s been very beneficial for him.”
Owned by Michael Lay, the roan broke his maiden in his fourth start, a six-length victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track on July 13, 2025.
After an off-the-board finish in last year’s King’s Plate, William T, a $45,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, reeled off four consecutive second-place finishes ahead of his current win streak.
“It’s nice to lead over a horse where you know you are going to get a genuine effort,” said MacRae. “He’s matured a lot. He enjoys what he does.
“I had a horse back in the day, Civil Code, who William T has emulated in a particular way. He likes to flex at other horses, like the guys in the bar who puff their chest out to try and intimidate others. He likes to do that when he’s walking home, just to make horses flinch. He seems to get a lot of joy out of that.”
Rochelle Fortune is the groom.
“Our bond is like nothing else,” said Fortune. “Willy is my best friend. He is like my son. I am privileged to be able to come in every day to such an amazing soul. I am honoured to have him and that Donnie trusts me to always do what’s best for him. Horses like him are the reason this isn’t a job – it’s living the dream.”
Recent works: William T worked four furlongs in :50.00 over the main track on Oct. 24. One week later, at the same distance and over the same course, he stopped the clock in :47.80.
“We have had four breezes in between his last race to this one,” said MacRae. “Ideally, I would have liked to have seen the past two works reversed. The first in, he did it nice and comfortably and had a good gallop out. Last time, he breezed a little quicker than I wanted. He galloped out solid. As (trainer) Kevin Attard said, ‘Good horses work quick, so don’t be disappointed.’ I keep replaying that in my head.
“His work on the dirt training track (four furlongs in :48.40) was freakish. I will, at some point, try him over the dirt next year. He just does everything effortlessly.”
Fast facts: The inaugural running in 1902 was won by the filly Janice. Kentucky Derby winner and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Exterminator won the race three straight years. In 1991, Francine Villeneuve, who passed away this year, became the first female jockey to win the race when she guided Twist the Snow to victory. Roger Attfield has the most Autumn wins (5) by a trainer.
Wagering menu for the Autumn: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / .20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 9-10-11) / $1 Swinger.
Field for the Grade 3 Autumn
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Runaway Again – Ryan Munger – Sid Attard
2 – Wicked Django – Keveh Nicholls – Carlos Grant
3 – War Court – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ron Sadler
4 – Swift Delivery – Pietro Moran – Mark Casse
5 – William T – Fraser Aebly – Don MacRae
6 – English Actor – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden
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A new challenge awaits graded stakes winner Dixie Law in Saturday’s $175,000 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. The 1 ¼-mile main-track feature for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, represents the bay’s first bout against older rivals.
“She’s doing really well,” said trainer Dale Desruisseaux. “It’s going to be a test. It’s the first time going against older mares. We’ve got to step out of the 3-year-old division, but she’s coming into it good.”
A three-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law out of the Union Rags mare Bit of Dixie, Dixie Law arrives at her 11th straight stakes engagement and fourth graded assignment off a runner-up outing in the Ontario Damsel, a 1 1/16-mile main track affair for 3-year-old fillies, on Oct. 10.
“I thought it was a really good effort,” said the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner. “She can be a tricky horse to ride – you make the lead early, and she gets to floating, so Pietro (jockey, Moran) came back and said, in hindsight, that he probably should’ve kicked on around the three-eighths pole and let them try to catch her.
“He was hoping the horse in front of her would’ve tagged her along a little further, but the horse behind us got the jump on us a bit, and she tried to battle back but it was a gallant effort.”
Dixie Law, who broke her maiden first time out last July, quickly emerged as a proven stakes competitor, capturing the 2025 Cup and Saucer, and Grade 3 Mazarine – the latter by 1 ¼ lengths last November.
The homebred for Garland Williamson’s Hillsbrook Farms led off her sophomore campaign with a Ruling Angel score on May 16, later adding the Wonder Where to her résumé on Sept. 6. Standing at 2-2-1 through six starts in 2026, Dixie Law has been rock-solid for her connections.
“Obviously, you always want to do better,” said Desruisseaux. “I thought her [King’s] Plate was something of a perplexing effort for her [fourth], but we can’t complain too much because she’s made a lot of money and fought every dance. As a trainer, and as an owner, you always want more, but her season’s been pretty good.”
The four-time stakes winner has banked nearly $620,000 in total purse earnings across her 11-start career, which has seen her hit the podium eight times (5-2-1).
For Desruisseaux, Dixie Law’s emergence as a consistent force reflects several standout qualities, chief among them her “natural ability.”
“Right from day one, she’s been a step above everything else I’ve had in the barn, and she’s shown that in the afternoon.”
Kyle MacDonald is the groom.
Recent works: Dixie Law covered five furlongs in 1:00.60 over the Woodbine main track on Oct. 28.
“She had a really good breeze,” said Desruisseaux. “Pietro was really happy with her.”
Fast facts: Conn Smythe, principal owner of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961 and builder of Maple Leaf Gardens, leads all owners with seven Maple Leaf crowns. The race was inaugurated in 1892.
Wagering menu for the Maple Leaf: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 7-8-9) / 0.20 Pick 5 (Races 7-8-9-10-11) / $1 Swinger/ $5 All Stakes Pick 3 (Races 7-9-10) ***15 % Takeout***
Field for the Grade 3 Maple Leaf
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Fortyfiveseventy – Daisuke Fukumoto – Barb Minshall
2 – Sultana – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
3 – Scat Girl – Rico Walcott – Mike De Paulo
4 – Lupa (IRE) – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll
5 – Dixie Law – Pietro Moran – Dale Desruisseaux
6 – Venencia (FR) – Edgard Zayas – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
7 – Hurricane Clair – Eswan Flores – Mike Wright, Jr.
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