TOWN’S WARRIOR, an Ontario-bred four-year-old, picked up $20,400 for a maiden special weight victory at Penn National on Jan. 19. Owned by Robert Marzilli, who bred the chestnut with the Speightstown Syndicate, Town’s Warrior became the latest winner for the hot stable of trainer Steven Chircop.
Sent off as the heavy favourite at 50 cents on the dollar, Town’s Warrior darted up the rail on the turn of the six furlong dirt race and won by two lengths under jockey Angel Rodriguez. It was the 14th career start for Town’s Warrior, a son of Speightstown from the stakes-winning mare Code Warrior by Society’s Chairman. Town’s Warrior was bought back as a weanling for $175,000 and again as a yearling for $340,000.
Trainer MIKE DEPAULO is having a good winter season and won his second race of the meeting on Saturday, Jan. 27 with Anthony DiPaola’s GAV’S DREAM GIRL. The daughter of Jess’s Dream was happy to get back to her birthplace of Florida and loved the dirt, overcoming a stumbling beginning to win the $8,000 claiming race by 1 3/4 lengths under jockey Tyler Gafflione. Santino DiPaola trains the filly in Ontario.
DePaulo also had a third- and fourth-place finish in race 5 on the grass with Basketball Jones and Leslie Chow. The latter was claimed from his race for $25,000.
JULIE MATHES, Fort Erie’s leading trainer the last few years, has won two of 11 starts this year, boosting her career total to 317. Mathes is coming off her biggest year yet with 50 wins from 434 starts.
Recent Canadian-bred winners include JOKE’S UP, who won a $35,000 claiming race at Gulfstream on Jan. 21 for Ken Ramsey and trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Bred by Robert Marzilli in Ontario, Joke’s Up is by Practical Joke from Liberty Kitten and it was her third win in her last four races. Joke’s Up was claimed from the win by trainer Bobby Dibona.
Other winners bred in Canada included MY REDEMPTON (Milwaukee Brew), who won an allowance/optional claiming race at Penn National on Jan. 11 with a 79 Beyer Speed Figure and Gentry Farms’ ELDON’S PRINCE (Cairo Prince), who won an allowance/optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park on turf on Jan. 1 with an 88 Beyer Figure.
LOYALTY AT TURFWAY: One of Canada’s top horses of 2023, Loyalty, returns to action in the $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes at Turfway Park on Jan. 27. Owned by Gainesway Stables and LNJ Foxwoods, Loyalty is a strong contender to be named Female Sprinter at the Sovereign Awards in April based on her three wins in five races last season. The daughter of Hard Spun won the Bessarabian Stakes (G2) and Hendrie Stakes (G3). The five-year-old has drawn post 4 in the 6 1/2 furlong race on Tapeta. Trained by Josie Carroll, Loyalty will be ridden by Luan Machado.
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