Four days of Woodbine racing last week offered a wide range of winners and big performances. The high heat and humidity caused the Tapeta surface to be quite slow throughout the entire week while the main turf course was very fast.
Highest Winning Beyer Figures
(Sunday not included)
90 JEAN ELIZABETH
89 MALIBU UPROAR (turf)
88 ART OF ALMOST (turf)
86 MUCHOKOVA (turf)
82 FULL EXTREME
81 SAMURAI QUEEN
80 MERVEILLEUX
SUNDAY JUNE 21 – Remembering Sir Laurie and Jason the Jet gets first win
The most sentimental victory of the day had to be that of FORESTER’S FORTUNE in race 9, a colt who zipped up the rail to win the maiden race for Claudia Silver and Archie Lee. Claudia’s husband ‘Sir’ Laurie Silvera passed away earlier this year and trained this son of Old Forester who showed lost of promise last season. The colt is now trained by Rodney Barrow, who has made a super impression in his first year of training he has 3 wins from 7 starters.
The featured race was the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes for sprinting fillies and mares and Woodbine welcomed back the amazing grey mare JEAN ELIZABETH who figured to have the field at her mercy with her lone speed style. The popular shipper returned to the scene of her Sweet Briar Too and Grade 3 Ontario Fashion wins that launched her current streak last fall for trainer Larry Rivelli and co-owners Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope LLC.
Leaving from inside of her nine foes in the six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, Jean Elizabeth darted out for a quick three-length lead and set fractions of :22.36 and :44.78 en route to victory in 1:09.86. Summer Sunday, Canada’s reigning Champion Female Sprinter, chased the winner most of the way and finished third as Painting closed late to steal the runner-up honours.
“She’s a rocket,” said winning jockey David Moran. “I wasn’t expecting her to be that quick with her ears pricked down the back.”
Jean Elizabeth, who set a stakes record last time out in February’s Lightning City at Tampa Bay Downs and is targeting the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, paid $3.40 to win. The five-year-old homebred daughter of Adios Charlie and Rooney Doodle now boasts a career record reading 15-4-2 from 21 starts and more than $680,000 in purse earnings.
The anticipated return of MERVEILLEUX went well for the filly, a Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate hopeful owned by Bill and Al Ulwelling. The daughter of Paynter – Breech Inlet by Holy Bull was strong and steady as she tracked the pace and then took the lead turning for home in the 1 1/16 mile race for 3yos and up. She ran the distance in 1:145.67. Kevin Attard had a good weekend with this gal, Malibu Uproar and Full Extreme also winning Saturday.
French Charm with jockey Jason Hoyte. (Woodbine/ Michael Burns photo)
Jason Hoyte (Jet Lee), a longtime respected exercise rider at Woodbine, celebrated his first Canadian win as he guided the three-year-old filly French Charm ($3.30) to a maiden-breaking score in the Sunday opener.
The daughter of Commissioner overtook longshot leader Classy n’ Silent down the stretch and held off Anita Grigio at the end of the 5-1/2-furlong contest to win in 1:06.18 for trainer Ricky Griffith and owners Steve Duffield and Racing Canada Inc.
“It means so much to me. It’s just a blessing come true. Hard work does pay off,” said Hoyte of his first Woodbine win.
Hoyte began his race riding career in Barbados back in 2000, winning his first race with Tikashar at the Garrison Savannah racetrack. He arrived in Canada in 2004 and started galloping horses for Steve Owens then became the go-to morning rider for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse for 16 years, breezing some of the biggest stars of the sport in preparation for the biggest races including the likes of Hall of Famers Tepin and Sealy Hill.
Hoyte, who was inspired by his friend and fellow jockey Keveh Nicholls to return to racing action, made just his 13th start a winning one.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20 – No Pinkie but Malibu causes Uproar
This partnership of Soli Mehta and Kevin Attard sure know how to pick ’em. First – Starship Jubilee who put hundreds of thousands in their pockets. Then, good older horse from last year Special Forces, now a graded stakes winner.
The latest masterpiece is MALIBU UPROAR, a $40,000 claiming from Sam-Son Farms in September who won his season debut Saturday, motoring through 1 1/16 miles on turf in a jaw-dropping 1:38.70, just missing the course record. The son of Malibu Moon was offered for the $62,500 claiming price and Rafael Hernandez rode. The gelding had three previous trainers in his first 10 races and didn’t start to come to life until last fall for Gail Cox when he hit the main turf course. His 89 Beyer Figure seems a tad low considering a maiden race at the same distance a couple of races earlier went in 1:40.41 and was given an 86 Beyer Figure.
Speaking of that maiden race, it was Jennifer Andrews’ MUCHOKOVA (Mucho Macho Man – Zelkova by Lion Heart) who scored an impressive win on the grass in his first start of the year. Patiently ridden by SAHIN CIVACI, this 4-year-old was bred by Andrews’ Devonleigh Farm. Tony Gattellaro is the trainer.
Emma-Jayne Wilson has been riding better than ever and with 6 wins last week. She’s tied with Rafael Hernandez at 12 wins apiece.
Meanwhile, Rafael won 9 races last week. He is the new rider for PINK LLOYD, 3-time Champion Sprinter in Canada and previous Horse of the Year, who was supposed to race Saturday in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes. But the the race drew just 4 entries and in what is said to be a first at Woodbine, the graded event was carried over all the way to Thursday, June 25. When entries were drawn for the race once again on Friday there were 5 entries. The fifth horse to enter was reportedly waiting for some extra days between races.
FRIDAY JUNE 19 – 2,000 for Tiller, Samurai Queen freaks
We have documented Robert Tiller’s 2,000th career win which he achieved with his owner horse HAVE A SOUPER DAY on Friday, another winner also for Rafael Heranandez.
The Norm McKnight Stable won two races as Flashy Silver won and his own BODE’S MAKER won a grass race off a year-long layoff.
The biggest performance of the day was the 9 length win by SAMURAI QUEEN in a $7,500 claiming sprint. This gal is well-known for being a difficult filly since she began her career for Joey Gee Thoroughbreds. If she can be settled, she can be very good. Claimed last fall by John Hillier (who used to race under Love 2 Win Stables) and John Lofts and trainer Darwin Banach, Samurai Queen dropped in class for this season opener at 6 furlongs and scorched the distance in 1:10.51, an 81 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Jockeys who won on this day included Brian Cheyne, Kirk Johnson and Skye Chernetz.
THURSDAY JUNE 18 – Raffie hat trick and a BIG winner for Vassilieva
Some interesting things from the twilight card included a somewhat odd occurrence. Joseph Humber, an owner and trainer at Fort Erie, and Bermuda Blue Stable and Anthony Adamo (and partners) each claimed a horse out of the first three races. Six claimed horses in three races by the same two outfits.
Humber claimed the amazing gelding COLLEEN’S SAILOR from race 1 for $5,000 and the gelding went on to win for the 17th time in his 75th start. The gelding has won over $560,000 and he is 2 for 2 this year for Vito Armata.
Jockey RAFAEL HERNANDEZ won the last 3 races on the eight-race card including 2 for trainer Norm McKnight (Bel Bimbo, owned by Mike Sisk’s M and M Racing and Westlodge Intrigue owned by Bruno Schickedanz).
The fanciest win he had was on the first-time starter CURLIN’S TIGER, an enormous daughter of Conquest Curlinate – Yes Imatiger by Roar of the Tiger, trained by Katerina Vassilieva for Cantrol Stable, which was winning its first race.
Bred by Brian Wright, who races the older half brother Society’s Tiger, CURLIN’S TIGER (see photo) led virtually all the way through 7 furlongs in 1:26.19, good for a 64 Beyer Speed Figure.
CURLIN’S TIGER is big all over. She also won her career debut on June 18 for Cantrol Stable and trainer Katerina Vassilieva – M Burns photo
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