The Grade 3 $150,000 Ontario Derby for three-year-olds and the $125,000 Ontario Damsel for three-year-old fillies co-headline Sunday’s 10-race card at Woodbine.
The Ontario Derby at 1 1/8 miles has an eight-horse field including two supplemented horses. Breeders’ Stakes winner BRITISH ROYALTY switches to Tapeta for the race but loses his Breeders’ rider Patrick Husbands to DOLDER GRAND, one of three Mark Casse trainees.
The race has often helped decided the Champion 3-Year-Old Male in Canada for the Sovereign Awards but won’t this year, it seems. Queen’s Plate winner Safe Conduct and Prince of Wales winner Haddassah are absent.
American bred DOLDER GRAND figures to be favoured off a fourth-place finish against older horses in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup. This $800,000 2-year-old purchase has come to life on Tapeta and at Woodbine. He took nine races to win his maiden and then won two straight. D J Stable owns the son of Candy Ride (Arg).
Riptide Rock, a son of Point of Entry, heads into the Derby off a runner-up effort to British Royalty in the Breeders’ Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown series, on October 3.
The Stronach Stables’ homebred, trained by Canadian Hall of Fame inductee Sid Attard, has assembled a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts.
His most recent win came in a six-furlong Tapeta race on July 16 at the Toronto oval. After a narrow miss in the Queen’s Plate – Riptide Rock was second, a head back of Safe Conduct – the gelding was third in the turf Toronto Cup before earning silver in the Breeders’ Stakes.
“He’s doing very, very good,” said Attard. “He’s coming into the race in good order. I’m very happy with him.”
Riptide Rock launched his career on October 17, 2020, sweeping to the front in mid-stretch to take the six-furlong turf dash by 1 ½-lengths as the 2-1 choice, in what was his lone two-year-old appearance.
The chestnut then headed south for his next four starts, three at Oaklawn, one at Monmouth, before arriving back at Woodbine ahead of his July victory over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
“I like everything [about the horse],” said Attard. “He’s a very easy horse to train, always does what you ask of him, and always tries every time. It’s a nice horse to be around. He’s always there whenever he races. You know he will always try, and he will always give his best.”
It’s exactly what Attard is expecting from Riptide Rock on Sunday.
“I think this distance will be perfect for him.”
Field Pass, owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Michael Maker, took the 2020 Ontario Derby in a time of 1:48.35.
Seven sophomore fillies, including Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser champ Munnyfor Ro, are set to contest the Ontario Damsel, a 1 1/16-mile main track event.
Owned by Raroma Stable, the daughter of Munnings is 3-2-2 from 11 starts. Munnyfor Ro is favoured to be named Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and is on a large list of possible Horse of the Year contenders.
The chestnut, to be ridden by Justin Stein, heads into the Ontario Damsel off a victory in the Wonder Where Stakes, third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, on October 2.
Other hopefuls include Gold for Kitten (4-0-1, from 5 starts), Alywow Stakes winner Lady War Machine, and multiple graded stakes placed Oyster Box.
First post time is 12:55 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com or the Dark Horse Bets app.
-with files from Woodbine Communications
$150,000 ONTARIO DERBY
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Artie’s Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg
2 – Dolder Grand – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
3 – British Royalty – Luis Contreras – Barbara Minshall
4 – Frosted Over – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
5 – Riptide Rock – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Sid Attard
6 – Master of the Ring (S) – Justin Stein – Michael Stidham
7 – Swot Analysis (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
8 – Hit the Point – Shaun Bridgmohan – Vito Armata
$125,000 ONTARIO DAMSEL
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
2 – Salty as Can Be – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
3 – Gold for Kitten – Kazushi Kimura – Brendan Walsh
4 – Lady War Machine – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
5 – Seasons – Shaun Bridgmohan – James Toner
6 – Oyster Box – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Graham Motion
7 – Sweet Souper Sweet – Eswan Flores – Michael Trombetta
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