Hold on to your racing programs as Woodbine hosts a plethora of big stakes races this weekend, kicking off a month of the biggest events on the racing calendar.
Canadian-bred stars go postward in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks (edition 65) Aug. 15 and the Plate Trial. The Queen’s Plate is set for Sept. 12 and a week later, the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
A trio of graded stakes, the Dance Smartly (G2), King Edward (G2) and Bold Venture (G3), complement Saturday and the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes goes Sunday.
As has been the pattern during this COVID-19 shortened racing season, Woodbine’s desirable racing surfaces and stakes calendar has once again lured a number of U.S. invaders for its stakes races (and other races). Horses from the leading North American barns of Chad Brown and Christophe Clement, among others, are in town this weekend.
Of the 19 stakes races run at Woodbine this season about a third have been won by shippers.
$175,000 Dance Smartly (G2)
Six fillies and mares, three years old and up, will chase the top prize in the $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes, a 1 ¼-mile test over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
ETOILE (Fr) has been sent north from Saratoga by Chad Brown and this 4-year-old filly comes out of a Grade 1 at Santa Anita. She was purchased in December from a broodmare sale overseas for just over $1 million by Peter Brant, Mrs. MV Magnier and Mrs. Paul Shanahan. She figures to be favoured over a pair of Roger Attfield trainees, a Godolphin gal Romantic Pursuit who is improving and Bold Script from Chiefswood.
Attfield, a dual Hall of Fame inductee, is represented by graded stakes placed Art of Almost, a three-time winner from 14 starts, and Elizabeth Way, who made her Woodbine debut a winning one when she took the Nassau Stakes (G2), the opening leg of Woodbine’s Ladies of the Lawn Series, on June 27.
Owned by Frederick Seitz, Jon Kelly, Danny Ward and Dr. Ted Folkerth, Art of Almost, a four-year-old daughter of Dansili, finished fourth in the Trillium Stakes (G3) on July 18. One race prior, the Kentucky-bred won by a neck in a 1 1/16-mile race on the E.P. Taylor green.
Elizabeth Way, a four-year-old daughter of Frankel, has been on the top of her game in 2020, winning three races – and adding a third-place finish – from five starts.
After launching her career in Ireland, the Godolphin-bred miss, owned by John McCormack, won her first two starts in North America, including The Very One Stakes (G3) on February 29 at Gulfstream.
She took the Nassau by a hard-fought neck in a time of 1:33.26 over ‘firm’ ground.
A win by Art of Almost or Elizabeth Way would give Attfield a fifth Dance Smartly victory.
Last year, Holy Helena, winner of the 2017 Queen’s Plate, took the race in a time of 2:02.08 over ‘good’ turf.
The Dance Smartly is the second event in Woodbine’s Ladies of the Lawn Series. Next up is the $250,000 Canadian Stakes (G2) on Saturday, September 12, culminating with the $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on Sunday, October 18. At the conclusion of the series, the winning connections will receive a $75,000 bonus. The inaugural winner of the 2019 Ladies of the Lawn Series was Starship Jubilee, Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year.
FIELD FOR THE DANCE SMARTLY
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Etoile – Rafael Hernandez – Chad Brown
2 – Theodora B. – Justin Stein – Michael Dickinson
3 – Romantic Pursuit – Davy Moan – Brandon Walsh
4 – Elizabeth Way – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
5 – Art of Almost – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield
6 – Bold Script – Patrick Husbands – Stuart Simon
$175,000 King Edward (G2)
Eight hopefuls will go postward in the $175,000 King Edward, a one mile event for three-year-olds and up on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
Silent Poet, a Stronach Stables homebred, will attempt to remain undefeated in 2020.
The five-year-old son of Silent Name (JPN) started his 2020 season with a smart allowance victory, and followed it up with a brilliant half-length score in the seven-furlong turf Connaught Cup Stakes (G2) on July 11 at Woodbine.
Trained by Nicholas Gonzalez, the dark bay gelding, who holds the Woodbine track record for seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor (1:19.22, August 24, 2019) has compiled a record of 8-4-1 from 15 starts.
Mark Casse, who won the 2008 King Edward with Royal Oath, sends out the pair of Dream Maker and March to the Arch, while fellow conditioner Josie Carroll goes after her first King Edward win with multiple graded stakes victor Mr Ritz.
Barb Minshall, who won the 1995 (Bold Ruritana) and 1996 (Kiridashi) runnings, is represented by Admiralty Pier.
Argentello, Eskiminzin and Delaware round out the field.
FIELD FOR THE KING EDWARD
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Dream Maker – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
2 – March to the Arch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
3 – Mr Ritz – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
4 – Argentello – Davy Moran – Conor Murphy
5 – Silent Poet – Justin Stein – Nicholas Gonzalez
6 – Eskiminzin – Darryll Holland – Carlos Grant
7 – Admiralty Pier – Steven Bahen – Barbara Minshall
8 – Delaware – Luis Contreras – Chad Brown
$125,000 Bold Venture (G3)
Looking to buck the Bold Venture jinx that has plagued him in the last 2 years, champion PINK LLOYD meets an interesting assortment of locals and shippers in the 6 1/2 furlong Tapeta dash.
The Entourage Stable silk-bearer arrives at the Bold Venture off a win, his third in the Shepperton Stakes, on July 23.
Bred by John Carey and owned by Entourage Stable, the eight-year-old Ontario-bred son of Old Forester now boasts 24 career wins from 29 starts and is approaching the $2 million mark in career earnings.
A 21-time stakes winner, Pink Lloyd assembled an 11-race win streak in stakes action, beginning at the start of his 2017 Horse of the Year campaign. Pink Lloyd’s current streak is now at eight after going six-for-six in 2019 and winning a record fourth Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes in his 2020 debut on June 25.
“He’s got the heart and desire to be probably the best sprinter in Canada the last 50 years,” said Tiller, after the Shepperton. “He is amazing. He was in trouble all the way. We got the box trip with the one-hole, and it worked out well. Rafi waited and waited.”
The Hall of Fame conditioner then added, “We’re very proud of him and I love him dearly.”
Pink Lloyd, who’ll leave the gate from post four with Rafael Hernandez back aboard, will face seven rivals in the quest to land his first Bold Venture crown.
FIELD FOR THE BOLD VENTURE
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Roaring Forties – Justin Stein – Daniel Vella
2 – Malibu Secret – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler
3 – Olympic Runner – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
4 – Pink Lloyd – Rafael Hernandez – Robert Tiller
5 – Dun Drum – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black
6 – Magical Man (S) – Steven Bahen – Gail Hughes
7 – Smart Remark – Daisuke Fukumoto – Victoria Oliver
8 – White Flag – Luis Contreras – Christopher Clement
Seaway Stakes (G3) – Sunday, August 16
A field of eight fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, will travel seven panels on the Toronto Tapeta in Sunday’s $125,000 Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine.
Graded stakes winner Amalfi Coast will look to recapture the form that carried her to an impressive 2019 racing campaign.
The four-year-old daughter of Tapizar went 4-2-1 from 18 starts last year, winning three straight stakes, including a season-ending score in the Bessarabian (G2) on November 24. She was a finalist in three Sovereign Award categories.
Owned by Terra Racing Stable and trained by Kevin Attard, Amalfi Coast finished fourth in Nassau Stakes (G2) on June 27.
Hoolie Racing Stable’s Another Time is chasing her first stakes crown.
The four-year-old daughter of Munnings, trained by Barbara Minshall, finished second in the Nassau and third in the Trillium (G3), on July 18.
Bred by Machmer Hall, Another Time is 4-1-3 in 11 career starts.
Charmaine’s Mia will make her 23rd start in the Seaway. Owned and trained by Michael McDonald, the four-year-old daughter of The Factor won her debut at Woodbine on August 4, 2018.
The Kentucky-bred is 4-3-2 in 22 starts.
A four-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy, Gamble’s Candy has three wins from nine starts for owner/breeder Ivan Dalos.
Trained by Josie Carroll, the Ontario-bred bay took all the spoils in last year’s Ruling Angel Stakes at Woodbine.
Keystone Racing’s Miss Mosaic will make her first start outside of the U.S. on Sunday. Trained by Ben Colebrook, the four-year-old chestnut daughter of Verrazano is 1-3-0 in seven starts.
Her lone victory came this January at Turfway Park, a 3 ¾-length main track triumph at one mile.
Painting, another Carroll trainee, will look to go one better after three straight second-place finishes.
The four-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor closed out her 2019 season with a runner-up effort in the Bessarabian (G2). In her latest start, the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes, Painting rallied to secure second prize.
Sunday’s first post is 1 p.m. The Seaway is race eight on the 11-race card. Fans can watch and wager via HPIbet.com.
FIELD FOR THE SEAWAY STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Gamble’s Candy – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
2 – Souper Escape – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta
3 – Miss Mosaic – Davy Moran – Ben Colebrook
4 – Another Time – Rafael Hernandez – Barbara Minshall
5 – Painting – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
6 – Sister Peacock – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Stuart Simon
7 – Charmaine’s Mia – Steven Bahen – Michael McDonald
8 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
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