After the first two days of the 2024 Woodbine Thoroughbred season, trainers Mark Casse and Martin Drexler have 10 wins from the 20 races. The winter-raced and -trained horses are dominating the short sprints.
The Sunday feature, the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes at 6 furlongs, was won by King’s Plate eligible MIDNIGHT MASCOT, a dark, brawny son of Army Mule who managed to run down front runner Adios Now who had got away with soft pace splits. The latter, a $25,000 claim from Gulfstream Park for owner Frank Russo, went 23.57 and 46.66 on the pace with red-hot Sahin Civci riding. Tunechi, fourth in the Grade 1 Summer and Grade 3 Grey Stakes last year, tracked Adios Now while jockey Patrick Husbands smoothly tucked Midnight Mascot, owned and bred by Manfred and Penny Conrad, on the rail.
Adios Now tried to dart away from his rivals into the stretch and for a second it looked like he would, but might Mascot angled off the rail and charged as did Naptown who had been wide throughout. Midnight Mascot, trained by Casse, forged on to a three-length win over Adios Now with Naptown, another Plate hopeful, a length back in third. The time of 1:10.71 translated into a 76 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
This was the second win in six races for Midnight Mascot, who was second by a neck in the Clarendon Stakes last fall.
“Going back to his last race [Clarendon Stakes] when I rode him last year, to this race today, he was much the best last time and today he was much the best,” offered Husbands, who was recently named to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
The colt was a $200,000 yearling purchase by the Conrards at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale from breeder Yvonne Schwabe. ‘Mascot’ was produced from the unraced mare Midnight Embrace by Midnight Lute, who is a full sister to 2013 Plate winner Midnight Aroa. The Woodstock winner tried a two-turn distance last year but faded when fifth in the Grey Stakes.
The race after the Woodstock was the fastest dash of the weekend and also won by a Casse trainee. STEP FORWARD, a Kentucky-bred by Speightstown who has had a start-and-stop career since August 2022, flew to a big win in a five furlong allowance/optional claiming race ($50,000), stopping the clock in 56.89, just missing the track record. He earned a 98 Beyer Figure. A five-year-old gelding, Step Forward had not raced since August when seventh in a turf race but he had won two of his previous six races and was third to subsequent stakes winner Dream Shake in July. Owned by Gary Barber, Step Forward was one of three winners for Civaci on the day, bringing his weekend total to six. However, Civaci also received a $200 fine for ‘failing to persevere’ as he stood up before the wire on Dancing Duchess in the Star Shoot Stakes.
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Martin Drexler, who was a finalist for Outstanding Trainer of 2023 and second in the standings to Casse, took four wins on Sunday. SILVER BULLET LADY, ridden by Rafael Hernandez, was a popular winner of race 3 as the speedy Reload filly led all the way to win the non-winners of 2 for $15,000 claiming for owner Hoi Wing Ip. Drexler also won with two horses who were sent to him very recently from Turfway by Double B Racing Stables and both won. TWO SIP SALLY, claimed from a second-place finish for $30,000 on March 9 won a maiden optional claiming race with Civaci and FAST BOAT TO SKYE, Hernandez up, won the last race for $25,000 claiming.
Drexler also sent out GIANT TEDDY to win for Bruno Schickedanz in a $110,700 allowance optional claiming. The son of Giant Gizmo – Explosive Leah by Silent Name (Jpn) was claimed in October for $25,000.
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More Winners: ROSIEPOSIE won as the big favourite in race 1 for Radcliffe Racing Stable and trainer Barrington Siddo. Leo Salles sent the Unified filly to the lead from the rail in his season debut and held off Miss Waterlook to win her maiden for $25,000 claiming.
Trainer Ross Armata got off to a good start as he had COMMANDER AT SEA, owned by S A Racing, ready to go in race 2. The Air Force One gelding, bred in Ontario by Tan Hyka, won the $9,500 claiming maiden race under Steve Jadoo.
ZACH AND AMANDA CAMERON, fairly new to the owner and trainer biz, celebrated a win with their first starter of the year, TOMCAT BLACK, a Bernardini ridgling whom they acquired in September 2023. The seven-year-old received a shrewd ride from Ryan Munger to chase a big speed battle before reeling in nine-year-old Alicia’s Kid in the late stages. Amanda Cameron was a former groom and assistant to Mike Keogh.
And Camhaven Farms, owned by Shirley and Anthony Camilleri, finally had some good luck and won race 5 with ONE TRUE GENTLEMAN, a homebred four-year-old by Society’s Chairman. The gelding was coming off his maiden win at Fair Grounds in New Orleans in a five furlong turf dash.
The Camhaven horses such as Alicia’s Kid raced well on the weekend, but some found the five furlong dashes too short. Steve Flint trains One True Gentleman who put up a 77 Beyer Figure for 5 furlongs in 57.92.
The weekend wagering was $7.8 million for 20 races compared to $5.6 million in 2023 for 18 races.
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