Six horses have already won twice in the 10 days of the 2025 Woodbine season and there have been some hot barns to take notice of as the track is in the midst of its first four-day schedule.
As of Thursday, May 22, when a new post time of 3 p.m. debuted at Woodbine, the following horses had already won twice at the meeting: BRINDI (Ire) – 2 stakes, Its Time to Shine, Hanlan, Go Kart Mozart, Garnet and Gold and Gizmo’s B F F.
JOHN ROSS is four-for-eight to begin 2025 and two of those wins have come from the improving speedsters ITS TIME TO SHINE, a half-brother to King’s Plate winner Paramount Prince. Ross, who bought this son of Souper Speedy at the CTHS Ontario yearling sale in 2022 for $40,000 from breeder ERICKA RUSNAK, owns 50 per cent of the gelding with his partner Cathy Wong and he shares ownership with Rijack Stable and Jim Aston.
Paramount Prince had not done anything as of yet when he bought him, but Ross loved Souper Speedy and Its Time to Shine’s conformation. Remember, Ross is the same fellow who bought Lexie Lou for $5,000 and later sold her to Gary Barber after she won stakes races.
Ross noted that he and his staff were in the Woodbine barn area as soon as the backstretch opened in late February and they have worked hard to prepare the stable for early races. “Winning those races made me feel better. We didn’t go away at all this winter, so being back at the track is like being on vacation.”
The three usual suspects top the trainer’s list at this point – Mark Casse, Kevin Attard and Martin Drexler (who won two races on Thursday) but others have also started off quickly.
BOB TILLER has six wins (two with Go Kart Mozart) and has won for his new owner Bruno Schickedanz, who also has another new trainer, Kevin Whiteley.
DEVON GITTENS, also one of Schickedanz’s trainers, has four wins, as does BARRINGTON SIDDO.
Wrap-up of Week from May 16-18
On Friday, WATSONVILLE RED, a King’s Plate eligible for John and Diana Russell, won his maiden against just five rivals and still went off at 28-to-1. The winter-raced son of Hard Spun came from last and reeled in two Mark Casse maidens who were a bit too confident in the late stages. Watsonville Red is trained by Mike DePaulo and was ridden by Leo Salles. He earned a 69 Beyer Speed Figure.
The big Beyer Figure from Friday was the 85 posted by PURR FACTOR, a ship-in winner for trainer Ethan West.
On Saturday, the maiden CLASSY WAR screamed to a big win for Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse, racing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.80 for an 84 Beyer Figure. It was his first win in his sixth race.
Saturday and Sunday both featured windy and cold conditions and speed horses in the short dashes rode the wind to many victories. However, both days the track appeared to be fair as late runners both inside and out had success.
On Sunday there was something in the air, as horses were acting up in the post parade and at the gate. Two chestnut fillies, both number 6, got loose pre-race (races five and six). In race five, well-bred first timer Biles dumped Rafael Hernandez and had to be scratched.
Race six had a delay of some 30 minutes as Just Pray, who has already been loose and scratched this year, once again got loose, this time without her bridle. Once underway, race six began with a lot of bumping at the start. The winner was Saratoga Holiday, owned by Tall Oaks Farm and trained by Mike DePaulo.
The last two races of Sunday were won by stretch runners; Society’s Thunder rallied to win the ninth race with a smart 85 Beyer Figure, but he veered in through the stretch run and interfered with a tiring Junior Hot Shot and was disqualified. Crumlin Lad, owned by Alex Patykewich and ridden by Amanda Vandermeersh, was moved up to the win.
The finale of the week was won by late-running ASK IN MY NAME for Devon Gittens and jockey Jalon Samuel.
More News
