Four yearling sale stakes races held at Woodbine, August 30, doled out a pile of cash to some hard-working horsepeople and breeders who, like everyone in any business in 2020, have struggled through this year.
The CTHS Ontario sale stakes races, cut down from six races to four for 2020, highlighted Canadian sale graduates ages 2 and 3 in the four races. The 2-year-old races offered a purse of $250,000 each, arguably too much for the quality of horses but hopefully an incentive to buy at the Sept. 2 sale.
And what a day it was for some of the smaller stables in Ontario.
RANDY THOMPSON, co-owner with John McMullan and trainer of the 3-year-old filly MARJORIE’S DREAM won his first stakes race when the Old Forester gal held on to win the $135,000 Algoma Stakes by a nose.
A fast and long-bodied chestnut, Marjorie’s Dream came into the Algoma as favourite off an 8 length maiden win with an 80 Beyer Figure. The very talented filly, bred by Walnut Ridge Farm, was bought back from the CTHS Ontario yearling sale in 2018 for a paltry $2,000. Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm consigned the filly for Walnut Ridge and she was bought last year by Thompson and McMullan.
She is the second foal of the Where’s the Ring mare Where’s the Irish.
“First off I want to thank my good friend Peter Brown for finding me and getting me a job in Canada 20 years ago,” said Thompson, 44, who hails from Barbados. “I worked for Mr. Tino Attard and Kevin Attard and I really appreciate those guys.
And I want to thank my Mom who gave me permission to come here.”
Thompson, whose silks of a knife and fork signify his mother’s food business in Barbados, said Marjorie’s Dream is named after his late aunt.
Patrick Husbands rode the filly. “The track wasn’t really playing speed. She’s aggressive, she’s an Old Forester, she’s a speed horse. She feels like she is faster than anyone else.”
Then there was DRAGON’S BREW, who was bought back for just $3,000 at last year’s Canadian Premier Yearling sale by David Sepishvilli’s GOLDMART FARM.
The bay 2-year-old gelding by the pensioned Milwaukee Brew had won his career debut in fine style under Daisuke Fukumoto and was even more impressive in the $250,000 Simcoe Stakes. The gelding rallied wide and went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:17.90 over Alberta bred All Canadian ($35,000 yearling, son of Reload) and Took a Wrong Turn (bought back for $14,000, by Souper Speedy).
Robert Tiller trains Dragon’s Brew.
The 2-year-old filly race, also at 6 1/2 furlongs, was exciting as first time starter EL BAYERN (Bayern – El Tara by Schossberg) came from last to win the $250,000 Muskoka for Stacey Van Camp and trainer Mike Mattine. Sheena Ryan orchestrated the thrilling win for the filly who was bought for only $8,000 from breeder Hill n Dale Farm at last year’s sale.
El Bayern is the first stakes winner for her sire Bayern, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner by Offlee Wild, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky.
El Bayern was 23 to 1. She defeated For My Elbi, a Souper Speedy gal bred by John Carey, who was bought for $24,000 by Laura Krasauskaite and $4,500 RNA MS WICKED (War Dancer), bred by the Everatts and owned by Centennial Farm Niagara.
Mattine and Van Camp had a big day as they had two other sales horses pick up shares in the races. Lakeside Park was fourth in the Elgin Stakes and Bambarra Bay was third in the Algoma.
The Elgin, worth $135,000 was won by a recent claim, TOLD IT ALL, bred by Dr. John Brown’s Spring Farm. The grey gelding by Big Screen – Tell No One by El Prado (there is a full sibling in the Sept. 2 sale) was a $20,000 purchase by Robert Hardie but was claimed for $25,000 by Rainbow Stables and Norm McKnight from a win July 17.
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