It was a day of longshots at Woodbine on August 29 and plenty of exciting races as the lead-up to today’s Yearling Sales Stakes day.
Woodbine’s $6 million wagering day also led into a $5.6 wagering night at Mohawk Park which hosted the North America Cup, won by favoured Tall Dark Stranger.
With a determined stretch run, CHART (Lea – Gauge by War Front) prevailed in a photo finish to take the $125,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes (Grade 3) for three-year-old fillies on a windy Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.
One of four Mark Casse trainees in the field of six, Chart got the first call, breaking sharply from the gate for jockey Justin Stein and settled into second behind the Casse-trained Grade 3 Selene champion Two Sixty, who sped out front and clocked an opening quarter in :23.55 and half-mile in :46.93.
Heading into the turn in the one-mile turf test, Chart advanced outside of the pacesetter with the Alex Patykewich-trained Saratoga Vision moving three-wide and Diamond Sparkles, another Casse contender, poised to go widest of all past three-quarters in 1:10.38.
Down the stretch into a headwind, Chart battled on gamely against Two Sixty with even-money favourite Avie’s Samurai, from the Josie Carroll barn, emerging at the rail.
Digging in, the determined Chart prevailed in a blanket finish, getting the nod in 1:35.24 over Avie’s Samurai. Diamond Sparkles finished another head back on the outside in third, with Two Sixty a half-length back between foes. Saratoga Vision finished less than a length behind in fifth while Fly So Pretty rounded out the field.
“She broke sharp and I didn’t have to ask her to leave there,” said Stein, who is now just a couple of wins behind meet-leading rider Rafael Hernandez. “She settled into stride right away and just galloped around there until it was really time to start running.
“I got to sit and wait for a while. I was pretty comfy sitting up to the quarter pole and when I asked her to run, she really kicked. I just could feel the try that she had inside. She was digging in and giving me everything that she had. Running into that headwind, I don’t know how she did it, but she found more to get the job done.”
The lightly-raced Kentucky-bred filly sired by Lea has now won half of her six career starts for Leonard Green’s D. J. Stable LLC.
Sent postward as the 9-2 second choice, Chart returned $11.20 to win.
Morning line favourite Walk In Marrakesh was scratched.
In other action, Theregoesjojo ($7.80) and Kazushi Kimura won the $50,000 second leg of the Woodbine Turf Endurance Series for trainer Michael De Paulo and the Samotowka Stables.
Stretching out to 1-1/2 miles, the five-year-old English Channel gelding stalked the top pair before sweeping to command on the final turn and winning by two lengths in 2:29.78 over the late-rallying Peace of Ekati.
Theregoesjojo was a runner-up in the 1-3/8-mile first leg to Artistico, who finished third in round two as the 6-5 favourite.
The series, which offers $40,000 in bonuses to the top point-earners, continues on Saturday, Sept. 26 with the third round at 1-5/8-miles.
More Saturday
Race 1 – UNCLE BULL, owned by Gary Barber and John Oxley, trained by Mark Casse, was too tough on the pace and won the 9 furlong opener on turf, an allowance race. The Uncle Mo gelding, a $475,000 yearling, was making his second start of the year and first race back on the grass on which he is now 3 for 6.
The Casse stable was expected to win RACE 2 also with the fast-working juvenile Cash in a Flash who went to post at 3 to 5 in the 5 1/2 furlong dash. The son of Uncle Mo was not sharp from the start, however, and never got involved as Ivan Dalos’ MACLEAN’S POSSE skipped to a 3 1/2 length win in his debut for trainer Josie Carroll. The son of MacLean’s Music – Beautiful Posse by Posse is a half-brother to local winner Wilburnrubber and he ran the distance in 1:04.82.
WOODBRIDGE bombed race 3 on the grass at 1 1/4 miles, winning at 50 to 1 for the Estate of Gus Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh. Jockey David Moran orchestrated this upset on the son of Langfuhr who was winning for the first time since Sept. 2018. The pace in this race was very slow, 26.77, 51.65 but the 6-year-old relished the distance and powered from off the pace by win by a neck over Count Again from Sam-Son Farms.
Race 4 featured the popular 10-year-old gelding CONSTANTINO, a 16-time winner who was racing for his lowest level of his career in this $7,500 6 furlong dash. The flashy gelding led late but was caught on the wire by JWS farms’ EXECUTIVE SIGHT, trained by Darwin Banach. The 6-year-old by Court Vision was winning for the second time in 7 races this year and 4th time in 31 races.
Constantino was claimed by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds and trainer Julie Mathes and will head to Fort Erie to race.
RACE 5 – Entourage Stable continues to roll as its $35,000 CTHS yearling purchase ROLLING SLOAN won her maiden in this 6 1/2 furlong turf race. Trained by Robert Tiller, the owners of Pink Lloyd watched this Silent Name (Jpin- – Night Fever by Perigee Moon gal won in her 4th career race. She was bred by Huntington Stud Farm. Rolling Sloan was claimed from the race for $40,000 by Tucci Stables.
RACE 6 – LATER GATOR, a $3,000 CTHS Yearling sale purchase in 2018 by Sarah Ritchie, won her maiden in her 2nd career race and first start since last fall. The Old Forester – Shickeria, by Trajectory gal won this $9,500 maiden claiming dash under Daisuke Fukomoto.
Race 8 – JORDAN LAY’s MRS. DEL, a 4-year-old by Souper Speedy, had a big payday in this maiden allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs, scooping up the bulk of a $123,200 purse. Bred by Clarry Lay, MRS. DEL was making her 8th career start and Skye Chernetz rode this gal to a 3 1/2 length win in 1:04.44. She was 7 to 1.
The last race was won by 20 to 1 shot BLAZING BOURBON, a homebred for Colebrook Farms, who came from more than 10 lengths behind and rushed up to grab the win under Steve Bahen. The Not Bourbon -Street Prize filly was moving from turf to Tapeta for this 4th career race in a maiden $15,00 claiming event.
**Today’s racing at Woodbine features the following horses who have siblings in Wednesday’s Yearling Sale hosted by the CTHS ONTARIO (info provided by Vicki Pappas:
RACE 2 ALW
#1 Victor’s Dynasty Hip 198 1/2 bro by Giant Gizmo
RACE 5 MOC$40,000
#6 Knotty by Design Hip 31 1/2 bro by Society’s Chairman
#7 Big Executive Hip 221 full bro
RACE 6 ALW
#3 Fresh Princess Hip 27 1/2 sis by Frac Daddy
RACE 7 ALW/OC$40,000
#2 Four Aces High Hip 154 1/2 bro by Reload
#4 Ennis the Menace Hip 27 full sis
#6 White Wedding Hip105 1/2 bro by Souper Speedy
RACE 8 SIMCOE
#6 Perfect Crime Hip 144 1/2 bro by Silent Name
#9 Derzkii Hip 36 full bro
#10 Forest Survivor Hip 178 full bro
RACE 9 MUSKOKA
#2 Sensational Girl Hip 80 1/2 sis by Passion for Action
#9 For My Elbi Hip 223 1/2 sis by Pool Play
#10 El Bayern Hip 219 1/2 bro by Silent Name
RACE 10 ALGOMA
#1 Queen’s Speed Hip 94 full bro
#7 Sterling Speed Hip 122 1/2 bro by Reload
#10 La Bestia Hip 161 1/2 sis by Pool Play
RACE 11 ELGIN
#3 Have a Souper Day Hip 69 1/2 sis by Old Forester
#5 Better Boogie Hip 58 1/2 bro by Reload
#6 Goldmine Cat Hip 127 1/2 bro by Society’s Chairman
#8 Grazely Hip 15 1/2 bro by Old Forester
#9 Speedy Moonlight Hip 61 1/2 bro by Reload
#10 Told It All Hip 141 full bro
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