The lucrative ONTARIO SIRED HERITAGE SERIES, a four-race competition at Woodbine and Fort Erie, wrapped up on November 16 at Woodbine with the two route stakes events.
The Ashbridges Bay, for three-year-old Ontario-sired fillies at 1 1/16 miles, featured a wild finish as five fillies were separated by less a length and it was the Danish Dynaformer gal WAR PAINTER who surged to a head win at 4-to-1, upsetting heavily-favoured Hurricane Clair (Silent Name (Jpn)).
One of the fillies in that blanket finish was the hard-trying grey LITTLE TEDDY (Frac Daddy – Explosive Lead by Silent Name (Jpn)), who finished fifth and picked up two points on Sunday and finished with 24 points to win the $10,000 bonus prize. Little Teddy, owned by York Tech Racing Stable and trained by Santino DiPaola, ran in all four Heritage races, won the Georgian Bay, was second in the Thunder Bay and third in the Ronadeau Bay.
War Painter, second by points in a tie with Olivia Rose, was winning the second stakes of her career and first this year. The win-shy gal, bred by Chares Fipke, owned by the Canuck Racing Club and trained by Kevin Attard, had Fraser Aebly aboard for the first time and she had a late spurt to grab the win in the final strides. The time was 1:44.93.
The Ashbridges Bay was the 10th stakes win at Woodbine this year for the Kevin Attard barn. The Canuck Racing Club was formed by Donato Lanni om 2022 and has mostly newcomers to horse ownership. On its own, the Canuck Club has 12 wins from 54 starts. Canuck Racing 3 has a number of yearlings currently.
War Painter was the first horse the group purchased; she was a $30,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling in 2022.
“It won’t be our last stakes win, hopefully,” said Halloran, noting stable stars Dewolf and Brengungirl are coming up to big events. “But we are just humbled to be here. She was one of our first horses and it is very meaningful for the group and there are a bunch of us here today.”
Danish Dynaformer has been popular in his first few years at stud. He stands at Joe Humber’s Humber Stables and is currently the third leading third-crop sire in Canada.
On the boys’ side of the series, NO MORE OPTIONS (Frac Daddy – Stoney Miss by Birdstone) made easy work of his rivals to win the $100,000 Lake Ontario Stakes and collect 10 points. However, it was runner-up JUNIOR HOT SHOT, the handsome dark bay colt by Souper Speedy owned and bred by Dr. Brian Armen’s T and T Racing Team, that won the $10,000 bonus for his total of 26 points. Junior Hot Shot won the Lake Erie Stakes and was second in the Lake Huron and fifth in the Lake Superior. He also won the Elgin Yearling Sale Stakes.
Justin Stein rode Junior Hot Shot and John Ross is the colt’s trainer.
No More Options, who ran the distance in 1:33.66, has five wins in 14 races. A $5,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase, No More Options was third in the Queenston Stakes in the spring, eighth in the King’s Plate, and recently won an allowance/optional claiming race.
The dark bay colt is owned by Mary Self and trained by her father Zeljko Krcmar. Ryan Munger rode the colt to the Lake Ontario win.
OSHS Point Leaders- Fillies
LITTLE TEDDY 24
WAR PAINTER 17
OLIVIA ROSE 17
Colts/geldings
JUNIOR HOT SHOT 26
LIVE LUCKY 20
NO MORE OPTIONS 12
SUMMER COMMANDER 12
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