68th Woodbine Oaks/Plate Trial: Forty, Fab and Tito

Ontario sires will be well represented in the 68th Woodbine Oaks on Sunday, July 23 at Woodbine. The $500,000 race presented by Budweiser will be drawn Thursday and as many as 11 could be entered.

The possible starters come from everywhere: stakes winner TICKER TAPE HOME was bought for a whopping $625,000 at the 2021 Fasig Tipton Saratoga yearling sale by Love Oak Plantation from breeder Sam-Son Farms. Sam-Son raced the filly’s stakes-winning dam Journey Home, who loved longer distances.

On the other end of the scale, Barbara Minshall’s FORTYFIVESEVENTY was a $4,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig Tipton October yearling sale in Kentucky. Bred by Charles Fipke, Fortyfivesevnty is by Ontario stallion PERFECT TIMBER (Perfect Soul) who was second in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine in his racing career for Fipke.

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Fortyfiveseventy has plenty of foundation as she raced seven times as a two-year-old last year and won her maiden at 1 mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta with a 72 Beyer Speed Figure. She had previously been third in the Princess Elizabeth. This year the filly won here second outing of the season, a 7 furlong optional claiming race and she was 4th in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes.

She had a big workout on July 15 in 59 second flat for 5 furlongs.

Fortyfiveseventy is from the second small crop of Perfect Timber who also has stakes winner Talk to Ya Later. The dam of Fortyfiveseventy is the unraced Avall Take by Tale of Ekati and this is her first foal to race.

Longtime leading Canadian sire SILENT NAME (JPN) will be represented by FASHIONABLY FAB, a homebred for Terra Racing of Dom Romeo and family. The Shady Well Stakes winner has been working up a storm since her fifth place finishing the Fury Stakes behind Ticker Tape Home. Her dam Flashy’s Legacy, by Curlin, was a winner in 10 races and her first foal is stakes-placed Souper Flashy.

Flashy’s Legacy is a half-sister to Queen’s Plate winner Big Red Mike.

TITO’S CALLING is a daughter of another top Ontario stallion, SOCIETY’S CHAIRMAN, who has been at Shannondoe Farm for many years. It would be fitting if Society’s Chairman sired this year Oaks winner as Shannondoe lost one of its founders, JANEANE EVERATT, last week.

Bred by Robert Marzilli, Tito’s Calling has history on her side in the Oaks. Society’s Chairman sired CAREN, the 2016 winner of the Oaks bred by the Everatt family, also raced by Marzilli. In fact, Caren was Marzilli’s first ‘big’ horse and he was very new to the racing game at the time. Tito’s Calling is from the stakes-placed First Dude mare Unstablenthemornin who was claimed for $6,250 from her final career race by Peter Walder but never ran again. This is her first foal to race and she traces back to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Lil E. Tee.

Souper Speedy, a leading sire in Ontario, will be presented by GREAT KATE, who was bred by Paradox Farm.

Possible entrants for the Oaks

TICKER TAPE HOME – $625,000 purchase from Sam-Son farms, she won the Fury Stakes at 7 furlongs on the lead all the way. Three previous route race attempts came on grass and dirt with poor results. Mark Casse trains for Live Oak.

BIG BRASS BED – Peter Brant owns this gal named for a famous line in a Bob Dylan song. Chad Brown trains. Filly won a route race on turf and recently had a bad trip in a long turf race.

TITO’S CALLING – Third in Grade 3 Selene Stakes behind two US-breds, 4th in Fury Stakes and a winner on May 5. Mike DePaulo/Ross Armata Jr. trainee had big workout on July 16 in 47.20 for half a mile.

WICKENHEISER – Kevin Attard trainee has had a start-and-stop year for training. Was a good second behind the colt Simcoe in 2023 opener. “Very talented filly who has yet to move forward. A few setbacks this year but I was pleased with her first start.”

FASHIONABLY FAB – Fast filly “had a super workout” July 6, 114.60 for 6 furlongs – then came back and sizzled 5 furlongs in 59.40 yesterday. Three straight sprint wins last year including Shady Well but a total guess at 1 1/8 miles.

FORTYFIVESEVENTY – owned and trained by Barbara Minshall, ‘the longer the better’ said the trainer. Filly was 4th in Grade 3 Selene Stakes, just over 4 lengths behind Tito’s Calling

ELYSIAN FIELD – Second to Ticker Tape in the Fury Stakes and maiden winner in April. A question at the distance?

ME AND MY SHADOW – Mark Casse trainee was third in the Fury Stakes and last year was second in the Princess Elizabeth. By Violence.

DELPHIA – strong debut win at 1 1/16 miles for X Men Racing -2/SF Bloodstock. One of four for Kevin Attard. “She had a very good workout [July 12].”

COURTLY RO – Ninth in Fury Stakes and unplaced in a recent grass race. “Her Princess Elizabeth race [fifth beaten four lengths] wasn’t too bad.”

GREAT KATE – Won her season debut in a maiden race at 1 1/16 miles with 61 Beyer Speed Figure, by Souper Speedy

Kaukokaipuu not expected for Plate Trial

Queenston winner and Marine Stakes second-place finisher KAUKOKAIPUU was back on the worktab last Sunday with a 5 furlong prep in 1:01.60. The colt has raced four times this year for trainer Ted Holder, who did not nominate the colt to the Trial. On Tuesday, Holder said the colt was not likely to be supplemented.

Local King’s Plate early favourite STANLEY HOUSE could have as many as 10 horses to beat in the PLATE TRIAL on Sunday. The impressive dark bay colt by Army Mule has Beyer Figures of 84, 85 and 85 from his last three races. He has been doing well in recent workouts including the 1:00.40 for 5 furlongs yesterday. Mike DePaulo/substitute Ross Armata Jr. are the trainers.

PHILIP MY DEAR, winner of the Cup and Saucer last year on the grass, is one of several heading for the Trial for Kevin Attard.

The son of Silent Name (Jpn) had a big workout on July 8 with another Trial hopeful, MOON LANDING, as he went 6 furlongs in 1:11.80.

“They both worked well,” said Attard. “Philip doesn’t want to stop and he has matured mentally. He might prefer turf but he’s in good order.” Moon Landing will have the blinkers come off for the Trial. The Nyquist colt recently trailed all the way in the Queenston, ending up 12th.

Attard also has maiden winner TIBURON as a possibility for the Trial and also could wheel back ENJOYTHESILENT, who was a troubled third in an allowance/optional race on July 7.

COOL KISS is another Trial starter for Depaulo and Stanley House’s owners, John and Diana Russell. Also owned by Newtop Stable, Cool Kiss, by Kantharos, was 6th in the Queenston and he won a seven furlong Tapeta race before that.

PARAMOUNT PRINCE will try and stretch out for the Trial for Mark Casse and jockey Patrick Husbands. The Society’s Chairman gelding forced the pace all the way in the Queenston and stayed on to be second behind Kaikokaipuu.

TWIN CITY, the Queenston winner who flopped in the Marine Stakes (G3), had a big workout yesterday in 59.40 for 5 furlongs and he could bounce back for trainer Stuart Simon.