While the winning streak of Woodbine trainer Mike Wright is making headlines in racing these days, there have been many other Canadian horsepeople doing good work this winter.
EMBRACE MY UNCLE, an Ontario-bred 5-year-old gelding, scored a popular win at Gulfstream Park on the Tapeta January 15. Owner Anthony DiPaola, who claimed the horse in 2020, celebrated his 80th birthday by watching the Shanghai Bobby fellow win the optional claiming race at 11-to-1 with Javier Castellano riding. The gelding set a track record for 1 mile and 70 yards of 1:40.33.
Embrace My Uncle, bred by Yvonne Schwabe, is trained at Woodbine by Santino DiPaola, the nephew of Anthony. Close friend Mike DePaulo is training the horse in Florida. Embrace My Uncle is out of a full sister to 2013 Queen’s Plate winner Midnight Aria.
Roger Attfield was no doubt pleased that Charles Fipke’s graded stakes winner SHIRL’S SPEIGHT got back on the winning track when the 5-year-old horse won a turf allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 15. The son of Speightstown, who won the Grade 3 Marine Stakes in his second career start in 2020 but had lost his way in 2021, loved returning to grass as he went on to a 1 3/4 length win under Antonio Gallardo. Rachel Halden saddled Shirl’s Speight for Attfield.
STEVEN CHIRCOP continues his incredible run at Penn National, winning again on Jan. 14 with DOMINANT FACTOR in a $12,500 maiden claiming race. Chircop is 8 for 19 at Penn National this winter.
TED HOLDER sent out WICKED MIAH to win at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 16 for himself and co-owner David Bloom. Holder, coming off a career year at Woodbine with 10 wins, had the Wicked Strong filly well prepared to win the $16,000 claiming race at 4 to 1.
BILL THARRENOS continues to have a solid Gulfstream meeting as he won his third race with YES I’M A BEAST on Jan. 12.
MARTIN DREXLER, Woodbine’s second-leading trainer in 2021, has horses at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach for the first time. He has started five horses at Gulfstream Park and has been unlucky not to have a win. His starters have been second twice and third twice.
RAFAEL HERNANDEZ has been riding at Gulfstream Park and has seven wins at the meeting since he headed to Florida following the 2021 Woodbine season. Also riding in Florida are Isabelle Wenc (Tampa Bay Downs) and Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Jockey SAHIN CIVACI, riding for British Columbia-based trainer James Brown, has a win under his belt at Turf Paradise in Arizona and LUIS CONTRERAS has also been winning while riding at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.
DAISUKE FUKUMOTO, just one win away from 200 career victories, was third on Little Miss Ellie at Santa Anita on Jan. 16 and has been getting closer to his first California win.
*Ontario-bred 3-year-old filly HALF PAST TWELVE, co-owned by Sajay Racing which won the 2019 Queen’s Plate with One Bad Boy, sped to a longshot win in a six-furlong turf allowance race at Santa Anita on Jan. 16. Bred by Arika Everatt Meeuse and Tim Meeuse, the daughter of Midnight Lute – J’s Hot Shot Lady by Badge of Silver has three wins in seven races for Sajay, Beerman Family Trust and Kurt Rexius.
Half Past Twelve was bought for $30,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. Her dam has juvenile colt C R Hot Shot (Commissioner), who sold at the Canadian Ontario Winter Mixed sale as a $7,000 yearling to Frank Huarte, and a yearling colt by Firing Line.
#8 Half Past Twelve wins the 7th at Santa Anita, off at odds of 21-1 from a 15-1 morning line, ridden by Abel Cedillo, trained by Steve Knapp! Congrats to the connections!
Race 8 and the $1 Golden Hour Pick 4 are up next on TVG, tune in now for live, on-site coverage! pic.twitter.com/wbXHuQvsDk
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) January 16, 2022
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
