Frank Di Giulio Jr.’s Goodoldhockeygame skated up the rail to capture Saturday’s co-featured $125,000 Bull Page Stakes, at Woodbine.
It was a breakthrough performance for the Bob Tiller trainee, earning his first-added money score in his first attempt to remain undefeated through two lifetime starts.
Seffeara, a track record setter on debut and winner of the Clarendon Stakes, set sharp splits of :22.51 and :45.29 in the six furlong ‘Poly’ sprint under pressure from Where’s the Widget.
A relaxed Goodoldhockeygame settled into fourth position under Patrick Husbands and waited patiently through the turn as Phil’s Cocktail, the Simcoe Stakes champ, and Super Colerosa advanced to take on the pacesetter.
Husbands, racing in the two-path, worked to keep Goodoldhockeygame inside as the field straightened away, before angling to the rail to surge inside Seffeara en route to a 1 1/4-length victory. Super Colerosa rallied for place, a head in front of a game Seffeara. Goodoldhockeygame covered six furlongs in 1:09.81.
Husbands, who guided Goodoldhockeygame to a similar driving score in the maiden breaker on August 24, was pleased with the effort from the Old Forester chestnut.
“Today, he laid off the speed and ran them down,” said Husbands.
The victory marked the third stakes win of the meet for Di Giulio Jr. as owner, adding to previous wins by Sweater Weather in the Eternal Search and La Lorgnette, also under Tiller’s tutelage.
Tiller believes that Goodoldhockeygame can only improve with maturity.
“I think he’s still a green horse. I don’t think we’ve seen his best. He should improve. He’s a big long-striding colt and we’ve liked him from day one,” said Tiller.
Goodoldhockeygame, bred in Ontario by his owner, banked $75,000 in victory.
He paid $8.20, $4.60 and $2.60, combining with Super Colerosa ($7.50, $3.20) for a $56.60 (2-6) exactor. A 2-6-3 (Seffeara, $2.10) triactor was worth $152, while a $1 Superfecta [2-6-3-1 (Phil’s Cocktail)] came back $135.30. The stewards deemed that Undercover Cat received an unfair start and was declared a non-starter.
