The 68th Woodbine Oaks, July 23 at Woodbine, was touted as a wide open edition of the top race for three-year-old Canadian-bred fillies and the result certainly backed up that thinking.
It was ELYSIAN FIELD, at 5-to-1, who roared past favoured stablemate Ticker Tape Home in early stretch and went on to win the biggest race for Canadian foaled three-year-old by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:49.83 for 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta. Her time was a bit faster than that of the Plate Trial earlier, won by front-runner Paramount Prince who went in 149.99.
Elysian Field was the first Oaks winner bred by David Anderson’s Anderson Farms after six tries. The filly was originally a $50,000 yearling purchase by Clinton Road Stable and then a $70,000 Ocala April two-year-old for Our Sugar Bear Stable. After running second in her career debut at Saratoga, Elysian Field was purchased by Gary Barber and Team Valor International and sent to trainer Mark Casse. The Oaks was her third race at Woodbine this year following a maiden win and a second place finish in the Fury Stakes behind Ticker Tape Home.
Ridden by the sizzling hot Sahin Civaci, Elysian Field, a daughter of Hard Spun – Elysian by Smart Strike rode the rail around the first turn while Friends For Life and Fashionably Fab got into a speed duel. The dueling pair opened many lengths on the field early on the backstretch but then began to come back to the others into the last turn.
Ticker Tape Home moved nicely towards the pair and darted away to a clear lead turning for home. But the Live Oak Plantation filly couldn’t quite conquer the distance and Elysian Field, who had moved past rivals in the 2 path on the last turn, rallied down the track.
Behind Elysian Fields both WICKENHEISER, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, and Barbara Minshall’s FORTYFIVESEVENTY were charging hard from far back. Wickenheiser got second while Fortyfiveseventy, who had some traffic delays on the turn and in the stretch, held third.
“I owe so much to Woodbine, it’s near and dear to me for a long time,” said Casse, who was making his first visit to Woodbine this year.
“We bought her a month or two after her first start at Saratoga and we had her here for about two days and she went into the clinic for about a week, almost a little touch and go, colic,” said Casse. “I think it took [a] toll and we brought her home and she’s got bigger and stronger. She’s beautiful.”
A chance to contest the $1 million King’s Plate appears to be a strong possibility for Elysian Field.
“Gary [Barber] owns a part and he’s game. I want to talk to Barry Irwin from Team Valor, but she’s a big, strong filly and I’m extremely happy how we get a month between the Oaks and The King’s Plate, so that’s important. Three weeks is tough, so now we get four weeks, and I don’t see why she wouldn’t.”
Elysian, the dam of the Oaks winner, won three of 10 races in her career and she is a daughter of Glorious Song Stakes winner Initiation. Elysian Field is the third foal to race of Elysian. Her five-year-old, Fire Emoji, is a maiden racing at Woodbine and her 2019 foal is winner Hidden Honor.
Anderson sold Elysian at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale for $35,000 in foal to Collected to Omar Aldabbagh.
#3 ELYSIAN FIELD ($13.60) kicks home down the stretch to win the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks @WoodbineTB for trainer @markcasse and owners @TeamValor and Gary Barber. Perfect setup from jockey Sahin Civaci. Congratulations to the connections of this filly on a hard-fought victory! pic.twitter.com/xGlTXxUDyG
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) July 23, 2023
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