Live Lucky, Olivia Rose Romp as Favourites in Heritage Series

The Ontario Sired Heritage Series continued Sunday afternoon at Woodbine with OLIVIA ROSE (Silent Name (Jpn – Malibu Sunrise by Malibu Moon)) winning the $100,000 Thunder Bay Stakes.

The six-furlong E.P. Taylor turf sprint for three-year-old fillies is part of an eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario sired 3-year-olds.

Sent off as the 1-2 choice in the Thunder Bay, Olivia Rose, with Rafael Hernandez aboard, glided to the front as Little Teddy, second on the board at 2-1, tracked the leader from in second. Miramichi settled into third, just ahead of Just Follow Me through an opening panel of :23.10.

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Olivia Rose continued to show the way around the turn for home as Little Teddy began to dial up the pressure in early stretch after a half in :45.35.

It set the stage for a throwdown to the wire, with Olivia Rose digging in to notch a 1 ½-length win in a time of 1:08.71 over firm ground. Little Teddy finished six lengths ahead of third-place Tabloid Material. Miramichi, Just Follow Me, and Red Eleanor rounded out the field. Vandoo was scratched.

Last time out, on July 7, it was Little Teddy who bested Olivia Rose by a neck in the Georgian Bay Stakes, also an Ontario Sired Heritage Series event, at five furlongs on the Woodbine inner turf.

On Sunday, the Mark Casse trainee was able to turn the tables against her game rival.

“I just didn’t want to pull the trigger too soon,” said Hernandez, who won Sunday’s other Ontario Sired Heritage Series race, the Lake Superior, with Live Lucky. Everything worked out good. We got the lead and we got an easy pace.

“I have confidence in this horse.”

Bred and owned by Gabe Grossberg, Olivia Rose took last year’s South Ocean Stakes and this year’s Fury Stakes, is now 4-3-0 from 10 starts.

Olivia Rose broke her maiden in her third engagement, a 13 ¾-length score at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine all-weather track on August 26, 2023.

She paid $3.10 for Sunday’s win.

LIVE LUCKY (Perfect Timer – Stormy Venus by Stormy Atlantic) kept his win streak intact with a sharp victory in the $100,000 Lake Superior Stakes earlier in the day.

Summer Commander blasted out of the gate and went straight to the front, but Rafael Hernandez, aboard Live Lucky, took control ahead of the opening quarter in :23.49, as Ready to Collect settled into second, followed closely by Summer Commander, and Junior Hot Shot.

Live Lucky, who came into the Lake Superior off a score in the Lake Huron, also part of the Ontario Sired Heritage Series, held a 1 ½-length advantage over Summer Commander through a half in :46.49.

In early stretch, Live Lucky, along the rail, appeared to be under siege, but Hernandez and the son of Perfect Timber found themselves in front by three lengths over their closest pursuer at the stretch call, in what would be a 4 ¼-length triumph in a time of 1:09.86 over a firm E.P. Taylor course.

Summer Commander was second, followed by Jo Daddy, Ready to Collect, Junior Hot Shot, Criminal Intent and Zippy Gizmo.

“When it comes to young horses, you want to see them build on what they bring to the table,” said Kevin Attard, who trains for Exline-Border Racing LLC, Michael Jawl, and Aaron Kennedy. “His first race was very nice, and he stepped up his game in the Lake Huron.”

On Sunday at Woodbine, Live Lucky did it once again.

Bred by Charles Fipke, it was the third win in as many starts for the colt, who won both his prior races, on June 9 and July 7, at five furlongs over Woodbine’s inner turf.

“He’s an unbelievable horse,” praised Hernandez. “Kevin told me to just play it by ear, see how the pace is going. And you can do anything [with this horse].”

A $55,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Live Lucky paid $3 for the win.

Established in 2021, the Ontario Sired Heritage Series is comprised of three $100,000 legs and a $100,000 final for two divisions: 3-year-old colts & geldings, and 3-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000.

All three legs and the final are contested over different distances and surfaces: the Woodbine inner turf, the Woodbine E.P. Taylor turf, the Woodbine all-weather track, and Fort Erie dirt track.

In addition to the $400,000 in purses for each division, there is $70,000 in bonus money allocated to the top point earners in each division at the end of the series.

Rafael Hernandez guides Olivia Rose to victory in the $100,000 Thunder Bay Stakes for owner Gabe Grossberg and trainer Mark Casse. (Woodbine/ Michael Burns Photo)