The second jewel of the TRIPLE TIARA for Canadian bred, 3-year-old fillies, the BISON CITY STAKES, marked a good day for the hard luck KATIE’S GRACE, who put it all together for her first stakes win.
The Bison City, worth $250,000, was one of two stakes races at Woodbine on August 8, one week out from the track’s signature race, the $1 million KING’S PLATE. The co-featured Niagara, at $125,000, featured a 1-2 finish by Chiefswood Stables and trainer Rachel Halden’s gallopers ENGLISH ACTOR and SIDE STREET, and that team will start MAGICAL FACTOR in the Plate.
The Bison City had just five entrants but the third, fourth and fifth place finishers in the Woodbine Oaks (the first jewel of the Tiara) behind the brilliant LUSTER, who romped by 5 1/2 lengths. With Luster headed to the Plate as the favourite, that left the Bison City open for her rivals and Katie’s Grace, trained by Catherine Day Phillips for Americans Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing LLC and Hubert Vester, was poised to make a statement. She had to get past three fillies from the powerful Chiefswood Stable, however.
A confirmed stretch runner, Katie’s Grace, by Independence Hall (Constitution) from the mare Bella Joy by Kitten’s Joy, had won her career debut last September and was second in the Princess Elizabeth and third in the Grade 3 Mazarine in her juvenile season. She landed fourth in the Fury Stakes this spring and then was a strong second to Luster in the Grade 3 Selene. She regressed a bit off that form in the Oaks when fourth.
In the 1 1/16 mile Bison City, Katie’s Grace and jockey Ryan Munger trailed around the first turn as Bossy Candy took the early lead with Chiefswood Glitter and Glow chasing in third. The pace was on the slow side, 24.21 and 48.74 and Rafael Hernandez, on Chiefswood’s PIPER’S GIFT, trained by Dale Desruisseaux, sensed it and let his filly range up three wide at the quarter pole, moving quickly at Bossy Candy.
Katie’s Grace had the best momentum, however, as she powered past everyone to win by two lengths in 1:44.14. Bold Time, third in the Oaks for Chiefswood, was second while Bossy Candy held third, Piper’s Gift stalled late and beat just Glitter and Glow to the wire.
“I thought going into the Oaks that she was in great order and I was really excited about the race,” said Day Phillips. “She got bumped going into the first turn and it just seemed to knock her off her game a little. She never really got on the bridle until she turned for home and was sulking a little bit.”
Incredibly. Katie’s Grace, bred by Sherry McLean’s Northern Dawn Farm and Sandy Giffen of Buttigieg Training Centre, was sold for just $10,500 at the CTHS ONTARIO yearling sale, picked up by Gail Cox as agent. Shooting Star Sales consigned her to the Ocala April sale in 2025 and got $80,000 for her from Taproot Bloodstock.
McLean, incidentally, bought Katie’s Grace’s dam Bella Joy, a 2-time winner, for $5,000 carrying Katie’s Grace.
Great theatre
It was a busy day for Rachel Halden, former assistant to Roger Attfield, as she had horses in four races including three in the Niagara for Bob and Mark Krembil’s Chiefswood team. Recent winner Side Street (Kitten’s Joy) was 4 to 1 and the third choice behind American shipper TRULY QUALITY, who won the Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine in 2024 and the 7-year-old DANCIN IN DA’NILE, back home after placing in two graded stakes races at Churchill Downs.
It was English Actor, with Fraser Aebly riding, with his mates Roscar and Side Street, who were up close to the pace at the start of the turf marathon. English Actor darted to the lead and had a measured length on another US shipper, Summer Cause, with Roscar, the 2024 Breeders’ Stakes winner for Chiefswood, in close attendance. The first splits of 23.72 and 48.83 were honest enough and by the backstretch the second time English Actor and Aebly had stretched their lead to a few lengths.
The six furlongs was run in 1:14.57 and still, Dancin in Da’Nile was no better than mid pack while Truly Quality was behind him.
Around the final turn and into the stretch run English Actor was still clear but now with both stablemates trying to make bids.
No one got close to English Actor however as he kept clear to the sire while Side Street ran strongly to be second after a wide trip. Roscar almost gave Halden the top three but he tired and Swift Delivery and Eswan Flores came along for third. Sultana did well to get fourth in her first race against the boys and Dancin in Da Da’nile was fifth.
English Actor stopped the clock in 2:14.47, a course record for the rarely-used 1 3/8 mile distance.
The winner paid 8 to 1 for his third career win in 13 races.
English Actor had been third, fourth and second in his three outings in 2026, two of those as the heavy favourite, and most recently tried to lead all the way in a 1 3/8 mile optional/allowance but he slipped back to third behind Junipero Serra. The chestnut’s two career wins both came at 1 1/16 miles but the improving fellow is a tough one to pass when he has the lead to himself.
Last fall, English Actor was given a chance in the Canadian International off his second win but the hot pace did not work out in his favour.
“We might have got a little aggressive with him then,” said Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry. “He didn’t get to run his race that day but he’s an English Channel and they are gallopers.”
Halden had English Actor fine tuned to a ‘t’ for the Niagara.
“That’s what we breed them to do, to run long,” said Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry. “We wish there were more opportunities to run long here.
English Actor is from one of Chiefswood’s first top racehorses, AMBITIOUS CAT, a daughter of Storm Cat. Ambitious Cat, a foal of 2001, was bought for $950,000 as a yearling by the Krembils and she almost won all of that back on the track. She won the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes and placed in four other stakes, including the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor, earning just over $700,000. She was the 2005 Champion Turf Mare in Canada.
As a broodmare, Ambitious Cat has produced four other winners including stakes placed Lunar Garden and Ambitious Moon.
Toronto ON August 8, 2026..Woodbine Racetrack.Jockey Fraser Aebly guides English Actor to victory in there and the $125,000 Niagara Stakes for owner Chiefswood Stables Limited and trainer Rachel Halden.Woodbine/ Michael Burns Photo
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