The first 2-year-old stakes race of the 2022 Woodbine season comes up Saturday, July 16 with the 81st running of the MY DEAR STAKES at 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta.
The My Dear is named for the 1921 Champion Mare in the U.S. who did a lot of winning in Ontario. Among her victories were the Toronto Cup, the Autumn Handicap, Hamilton Cup and Ontario Jockey Club Cup. She finished second to Hall of Fame horse Exterminator in two editions of the Autumn Handicap. My Dear won 23 of 95 races.
The race, which is open to horses bred in other countries, has been won by some great Canadian-breds including Wonder Where, Tudor Queen, and La Prevoyante.
In from Presque Isle racetrack in Erie, Pennsylvania is DAMASO, a daughter of Outwork, who won her debut by 5 1/2 lengths for Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and trainer Timothy Hamm.
Hamm is very familiar with the My Dear Stakes as he has sent up horses to Woodbine to win two editions of the race. In 2019, Hamm saddled Fast Scene to win the My Dear and in 2016, won the race with Velvet Mood.
Damaso meets a pair of fillies from Ontario owner Ivan Dalos, both debut winners. His Kentucky-bred COLLECTING FLATTER won her debut on June 25 at Woodbine for trainer Josie Carroll and SPEEDY RIVER, the lone Canadian-bred in the field, won her career opener on June 18 for trainer Mike DePaulo.
She ran a real good race. She’s very quick,” said DePaulo of Speedy River. “Mike Cooke (Classic Mile) had her in Florida and sent her up to us in great shape and it’s been onwards and upwards from there.”
Leaving from post four in Saturday’s $125,000 event, Speedy River will look for an encore of her June 18 effort. The youngster has shown her trainer quickly that she knows when the money is on the line.
“Her works were pretty decent ahead of that first race,” noted De Paulo. “It’s funny because I worked her with a couple of others, and she finished third, but she was the one that won.”
A daughter of Souper Speedy, Speedy River will be ridden by Luis Contreras.
Epona Thoroughbreds’ CAHIRA’S BLESSING won the second time out in her career for trainer Mark Casse and completing the field is LNJ Foxwoods’ first-time starter STATE OF MIND, a daughter of Kitten’s Joy, trained by Josie Carroll.
The field for the My Dear Stakes
POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER
1 – State of Mind – Rafael Hernandez – Josie Carroll
2 – Damaso – Pablos Morales – Tim Hamm
3 – Collecting Flatter – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
4 – Speedy River – Luis Contreras – Mike De Paulo
5 – Cahira’s Blessing – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
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