Mark Casse fell short in his chase of a 15-year-old record, but managed his fourth straight Woodbine training title as the track’s eight-month live Thoroughbred season came to a close on Sunday.
Casse was three wins away from tying the mark of most wins in single season by a trainer at Woodbine (set by the late Frank Passero in 1995 with 89 wins), heading into the final card, but managed a sole tally to finish with 87 on the campaign.
Jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva collected his first Woodbine riding championship with 190 scores, 18 ahead of nearest rival, Patrick Husbands (172). Chantal Sutherland was third with 136 wins, including a colony-leading 18 stakes victories. Husbands did end up winning the earnings title on the final day, finishing with $9,228,622 after capturing the day’s feature, the Valedictory Stakes, with Pool Play.
Sam-Son Farm topped the Woodbine’s owner standings with purse earnings of $2,563,412. Bear Stables Ltd. was second with $1,883,987 and had the most wins with 39. Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc. was third with $1,789,573.
It was Casse’s fifth Woodbine training title overall. Casse, who took the purse earnings title with $4,920,111, also won the 2002 championship. Reade Baker was second this year with 66 wins, while Sid Attard was third with 46. Roger Attfield had the most stakes wins with 13.
Once again, the winner of this year’s Grade 1, $2 million Pattison Canadian International, Joshua Tree ($11.20), led all horses at the meet with $1.2 million in earnings.
Impossible Time, Safety Zone, Wildcat Marie, Kirkland Lake, Certain Pride and Preakness Laugher each had five wins to lead all runners at the 167-day season.
da Silva guided Terra Racing Stables’ Big Red Mike ($12) to a wire-to-wire victory in the Queen’s Plate over Hotep and Roan Inish, who won the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, returning $25.80.
In the other major stakes events, Court Vision ($16.60) won the Woodbine Mile, and Miami Deco won the Breeders’ Stakes, third jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown Series, paying the biggest price ($132.10) in the race’s Triple Crown history.
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