Sunday, December 11, 2022. The snow came down in the morning and blanketed the turf courses at Woodbine. The main Tapeta surface got a bit snowy and a bit sticky but 14 races went off well on the final day of the 132-day racing season that began all those many months ago.
The featured race of the day was an Ontario-sired stakes race for 3-year-olds and upward, the Steady Growth, named for a Queen’s Plate winner and top sire in Ontario. The 1 1/16 mile race was expected to give Paul Buttigieg’s graded stakes winner Artie’s Storm a second straight win in this race after competing in graded stakes throughout this year.
Ah, but it is the last day of racing and anything goes, and when stretch-running Lac Macaza jumped out to the early lead and set a slow pace, it was apparent that the race was not going Artie’s way.
It was shrewd tactics by Daisuke Fukumoto on Lac Macaza, owned by Goldie Stable and Discovery Racing and trained by Julia Carey; the Giant Gizmo 3-year-old fought hard to the finish only to be edged late by 13-to-1 AVOMAN, who had tracked the leader all the way. Justin Stein was able to nurse 4-year-old Avoman (Old Forester – Cosa Rara by Tethra) just up for the half-length win in a time of 1:44.89. Artie’s Storm was third and even-money choice Candy Overload, supplemented to the race, finished fourth.
It was the first stakes victory for trainer JOHN CHARALAMBOUS since 2017 and a super training job for the veteran conditioner. Avoman, claimed for Paul Braverman of Boston and co-owner Timothy Pinch for $40,000 on May 28, had been fourth in a trio of optional claiming races and then third in the recent Overskate Stakes on the grass. However, the gelding had been sick recently.
“He got sick before his last race, so we had to scratch him. And he only had one work coming into this race, but he trained really strong last week. We were fortunate, everything worked out. He had a great trip. He had a little bit of racing luck which he hasn’t had for a few races.”
Charalambous was also pleased to see owners Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch celebrate a stakes victory at the Toronto oval.
“They are American owners, but they put a lot of money in this game. Not just racing horses, but breeding horses, and I’m happy for them.”
Indeed, Braverman, whose bloodstock manager for his Ontario broodmares is Hall of Fame trainer Reade Baker, has upped his Ontario racing and breeding presence in recent years.
Avoman, bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, won the Plate Trial in 2021 and was sixth in the Queen’s Plate. He has won four of 15 races and over $268,000.
Here is how the other 13 races played out on closing day:
First race: Fittingly, favoured MORSTACHY’S, bred by the meeting’s leading owners Al and Bill Ulwelling in Ontario, won a $25,000 maiden claiming race with a strong rally. The 2-year-old colt was making his 5th carer start and he is trained by Kevin Attard, who had a career year and landed second in the trainer standings. Emma-Jayne Wilson picked up the mount from Rafael Hernandez, who was injured on Saturday.
First time starter BOLD RELOAD, a 4-year-old bred in Florida by Murray Stroud and now owned by Kanny Ng, led all the way to win the second race, a maiden $7,000 claiming race. He was just 5-to-1 and it was a super training job by Abraham Katryan who was winning his 8th race of the year. Jose Campos, one of about a dozen new faces in the jock’s room at Woodbine this year, was on board.
One of the most remarkable horses at Woodbine in recent years has been LAPOCHKA, an Ontario-bred by English Channel – Russian Sweetiepie, bred by Richard Lister. Lapochka has had many owners and trainers and the 9-year-old is not quite as fast as he was. But in 2022 the chestnut won 3 of 13 races including race 3, a $25,000 claiming race. The old-timer has won 16 of 64 races. His current owner is Eight Star Racing Stables and Vito Armata trains.
Patrick Husbands, multiple champion jockey, rode Lapochka and then came back in the next race to win on LOIS LEN, an Ontario-sired and -bred filly who won for $25,000 claiming for D J Stable, Aaron Yagoda and Quintesstial racing. Mark Casse trains.
SOUPED UP worked hard under Emma-Jayne Wilson to win his maiden for owner Chris Harris and trainer Rachel Halden. Harris and John Harris in Ontario bred this 2-year-old gelding and he is by Souper Speedy – Jevina by Pure Prize. It was Souped Up’s second career start.
It is hard not to think about the Queen’s King’s Plate (the first King’s Plate since 1951 will be run in 2023!) when a bunch of Canadian-bred 2-year-olds are racing at a route distance in a maiden event. And in just his second career start, MIDNIGHT IN MALIBU was quite impressive with his workmanlike victory for Tucci Holdings and trainer Jamie Attard. The son of Midnight Lute (who has sired a Plate winner) is from I Thirtyfive by Malibu Moon and was a $39,000 (CAD) yearling purchase last year at the CTHS Ontario sale. Bred by Kingview and Huntington Stud Farm, Midnight in Malibu was ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Skipping along to race 10 and what a finish this allowance race had after 1 1/16 miles. The result was a near triple-dead-heat and the second dead-heat for win in consecutive days.
GASTON and BRINGER OF RAIN, 3-year-olds meeting some tough older guys, landed in a tie while favoured LORD OF WAR, who had to start from post 14, was a nose back in third. Gaston, by the way, won his maiden on Aug. 21, a few races before his owners X-Men Racing and Madaket Racing (along with SF Bloodstock) and trainer Kevin Attard won the Queen’s Plate with Moira. He is an Ontario-bred by Hard Spun bred by Saintsbury Farm. Bringer of Rain, owned by Andrew Warren and trained by Barbara Minshall, was the third winner for Patrick Husbands. The son of Twirling Candy was bred by David Anderson and Peter Berglar in Ontario.
And the hottest jockey of the last 6 weeks, Sahin Civaci, won three of the last four races including the 14th race for leading race-winning owner BRUNO SCHICKEDANZ and trainer Martin Drexler. Civaci guided VELOCI to a big win in the $7,500 claiming race.
It was another $8 million-plus wagering day on the final weekend and a satisfying end to a long season. In two months, the barns will be starting to fill again!
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