Luis Contreras

Lukes Alley Impressive in Autumn Score

Eugene Melnyk’s Lukes Alley rallied from last to capture Sunday’s $224,800 Grade 2 Autumn Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by Luis Contreras, the four-year-old Flower Alley bay was shuffled to last of six in the final turn before angling off the rail to run down shipper War Correspondent and 2013 Queen’s […]

Glenville Gardens Blossoms in Fine Display

Eugene Melnyk’s Glenville Gardens broke his maiden in fine style with a front-running score in Saturday’s $132,250 Display Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Josie Carroll, the dark bay son of Street Cry-Navy Gardens arrived at the 1 1/16-miles ‘Poly’ stake for juveniles from a pair of runner-up performances. Glenville Gardens was second on debut to […]

Judy the Beauty Leads Canadian-bred Breeders’ Cup Charge

Judy the Beauty, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, captured the $1-million Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday’s 31st Breeders’ Cup World Championships, at Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, California. Owned and trained by Wes Ward, the five-year-old Ghostzapper-Holy Blitz chestnut held off the late rally of Better Lucky for a head score. Leigh Court, […]

Favoured Passion for Action Dominant in Cup and Saucer

Favoured Passion for Action took over in mid-stretch and went on to post a three and one-quarter length score over Java’s Bourbon in the $250,800 Cup and Saucer Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine. With Luis Contreras up, the Mike DePaulo-trained Passion for Action, who had entered the rich juvenile Canadian-bred turf stake off a head loss […]

Lukes Alley Makes the Grade in Durham Cup

Eugene Melnyk’s Lukes Alley, under leading rider Luis Contreras, notched his first career stakes win with an impressive turn in Saturday’s Grade 3 $174,000 Durham Cup, at Woodbine. It was the second graded stakes win of the afternoon for the combination of Melnyk and trainer Josie Carroll following Leigh Court’s score in the $200,000 Grade […]

Moran, Contreras Double Up on Six-pack Yearling Sales Stakes Card

Wednesday night’s Yearling Sales Stakes program at Woodbine was highlighted by a pair of wins for jockeys David Moran and Luis Contreras on an evening showcasing Canadian-breds purchased at previous Canadian Premier Yearling Sales. Moran’s double included an impressive 2 1/2-length score by Phil’s Cocktail in the $201,200 OLG Simcoe Stakes as well as a […]

Speed Seeker Rallies to Win Ontario Colleen

Favoured Speed Seeker, with Luis Contreras, came from off the pace to win the co-featured $169,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes for three-year-fillies, Saturday at Woodbine. The Joan Scott-trained Florida-bred daughter of Heatseeker-Seraphic Too was making just her third career start in the one mile turf contest, after breaking her maiden on the front end convincingly in […]

Karibu Gardens Makes the Grade in Sky Classic

Karibu Gardens made his first stakes appearance a winning one in Saturday’s co-featured $203,200 Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Josie Carroll for owner Melnyk Racing Stables, Karibu Gardens made a menacing move in the final turn of the 1 1/4-miles turf tilt, finishing with a flourish under Luis Contreras to win […]

No Problem for Unhindered in My Dear

Favoured Unhindered, with Luis Contreras aboard, led all the way to take the featured $126,500 My Dear Stakes for two-year-old fillies, Saturday at Woodbine. Trained by Ralph Biamonte for owners Ron Magers and Bob Marcocchio, Unhindered, a $50,000 yearling purchase, was winning her second straight, by three-quarters of a length over Sweet Dreams, to remain […]

Pender Harbour Overcomes Trouble to Take Steady Growth

Despite a bad start out of the gate, veteran campaigner Pender Harbour rallied from last place to win the featured $125,000 Steady Growth Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine. Sent postward the 8-5 second choice to the 3-2 favourite Ultimate Destiny in the mile and one-sixteenth stakes event, Pender Harbour dwelt at the start, spotted the field […]

Frac Daddy Much the Best in Eclipse

Frac Daddy continued his unbeaten run on synthetic surfaces with a sparkling first try over the Woodbine ‘Poly’ to capture Sunday’s $202,400 Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Ken McPeek for owners Magic City Thoroughbred Partners LLC, Frac Daddy arrived at the 1 1/16-mile main track event off a determined fourth-place run in […]

Casse and Contreras Tops Again

There were familiar names on top of the leaderboard at the end of Sunday’s 13-race season-ending card at Woodbine. Mark Casse recorded his seventh straight training title and eighth overall, winning 85 races, after notching 94 wins in 2012. Casse recorded a record 119 wins in 2011. Casse also led in the purse earnings category, […]

No Bull, Matador Orevails in Cup and Saucer

In a pulsating stretch-long duel, John Oxley’s Matador got the bob over Chiefswood Stables’ Cool Faith to capture the $251,200 Cup and Saucer Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine. With Luis Contreras aboard Matador and Omar Moreno urging on Cool Faith, the only filly in the field of 11 Canadian-foaled two-year-olds, the Cup and Saucer turned into […]

Ami’s Holiday Up in Time in Grey

Ami’s Holiday needed the length of the stretch to reel in Big Bazinga in Sunday’s $174,700 Grade 3 Grey Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Josie Carroll for owner Ivan Dalos, the bay son of Harlan’s Holiday went to post as the 3-2 mutuel choice in the 1 1/16-mile ‘Poly’ tilt which featured four horses following […]

‘Good Better’ best in Elgin

Good Better Best earned his first stakes score with a determined stretch run in Wednesday’s $125,000 Elgin Stakes, at Woodbine. Trained by Roger Attfield for owner Harlequin Ranches, the five-year-old son of Best of the Bests sat just off the pace of favoured Ultimate Destiny in the 1 1/16-mile ‘Poly’ stake, was roused into contention […]