Two new faces to the Ontario Sire Heritage Series grabbed wins in the third leg of the program at Woodbine on October 21. BANFF, owned by Doug and Bridgette Cheetham and MY GIRL SKY, owned by Kevin Drew, took the Lake Superior and Thunder Bay Stakes respectively with one leg, which includes two races each, remaining in the series.
The 7-furlong turf events are part of the stakes series open to Ontario-sired 3-year-olds, held at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks.
Ontario Racing and its Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) Committee unveiled the series in 2021. With a total purse structure of $800,000 this year, the Heritage Series features a total of four races – three opening legs and one final – for both 3-year-old colts and 3-year-old fillies who are sustained to the Ontario Sires Stakes program.
The $100,000 Lake Superior Stakes drew previous Heritage series stakes winners Bossy Holiday (Lake Erie on dirt at Fort Erie) and Silent Runner (Lake Huron, five furlongs on turf at Woodbine) but it was Banff, making his first start in a stakes race who took all the love from bettors, going off at a paltry 3-to-5 based on his high Beyer Speed Figures in optional claiming races in recent turf sprints.
Claimed by the Cheethams and trainer Martin Drexler for $25,000 from his second career race, which he won, Banff and jockey Sahin Civaci trailed early in the Lake Superior over a turf course listed as good and very much on the giving side.
After an early tussle for top spot, Giant Teddy grabbed the lead with Bossy Holiday and Uncle Joe in close pursuit. Civaci, aboard Banff, kept the gelding at the back of the pack through an opening split of :23.40.
Giant Teddy was on top by two lengths through a half in :45.63, as Uncle Joe, second in the Lake Erie stakes last time out, maintained his spot in second, and Hunt Master took over third, while Banff, supplemented to the race for $1,000, could still see them all.
When the field straightened for the long stretch run, Giant Teddy was still on top, but Hunt Master loomed a major threat as did Banff, who began to roll from the back.
Midway down the lane, Banff and Hunt Master hooked up for a fight to the finish with Banff winning the bob by a head. Uncle Joe was third, a neck ahead of Full Screen.
The final time was 1:22.05 over good ground.
Banff is the first Thoroughbred raced by Doug and Bridgette Cheetham (Doug, listed as owner, had a couple of starters several years ago).
“My wife had her eye on this horse since the beginning and he’s a lovely horse,’ said Doug Cheetham. “I’m speechless.”
Bridgette Cheetham trained more than 30 Quarter Horse winners at Ajax Downs and is an accomplished barrel racer.
Drexler, one of Woodbine’s leading trainers, was collecting his 58th win of the year (including Gulfstream) and he is on track to have a career year by wins, his previous best being 64 in 2019.
“He likes the grass a lot,” said Drexler. “It just kind of worked out that he took to the grass. He’s a developing 3-year-old who is getting better and better.”
Banff was bred by Glenn Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms and he is a son of Silent Name (Jpn) – El Tara by Schossberg.
UNCLE JOE, owned by Steven, Geoffrey and Joe Chircop, is now the points leader heading into the last leg of the series (Nov. 18) with 17 points.
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Sent off at 7-1 in the Thunder Bay for fillies, My Girl Sky (Dynamic Sky – Channel the Green by English Channels) was settled into fifth of nine in the early stages of the $100,000 Thunder Bay Stakes, as Well Actually and Indian Music battled for the early lead with the former emerging on top, taking her rivals through an opening split of :23.82.
Well Actually continued to call the shots on the front end, with Indian Music a length back and My Girl Sky moving up to third along the inside after a half reached in :47.30.
As the field turned for home, Well Actually tried to slip away on her pursuers, but jockey Steve Bahen had My Girl Sky ready to roll, and the daughter of Dynamic Sky-Channel the Green soon began to cut into the lead.
A length behind at the stretch call, My Girl Sky took over the proceedings soon after and went on to post 1 ¾-length win over runner-up Souper Flashy. Well Actually held for third and Talk to Ya Later was fourth.
The final time over good going was 1:23.53.
“She really gives it her all in all her starts,” said trainer Katerina Vassilieva. “A few of the races, we were really expecting a little bit more out of her, but the race didn’t play out quite the way we wanted. Today, all the luck was on our side. I was actually a little bit concerned that the turf would be too soft. That was my concern. A part of me was hoping it would come off [the turf], but obviously it wasn’t a problem for the filly today. She handled it just fine.”
Bred by FrostFire Thoroughbreds, the grey is now 3-1-0 from 10 starts.
“This is our second stakes race we’ve won,” said owner Kevin Drew. “We won with Jilli Marie in the [2020] South Ocean when she was a 2-year-old. It feels great. We had a great win in July, and I really thought she was going to take off from there. She looked like a world beater, and then we had a couple of bad luck races. That’s what happens.”
My Girl Sky paid $16.40 for the win.
My Girl Sky picked up 10 points in the Heritage Series and sits fourth in the standings.
-with files from Woodbine media
Point Leaders Males
Bossy Holiday 17
Silent Runner 15
Uncle Joe 12
Mr Crowley 3
Souper Rush 3
Point Leaders Females
Pleasure’s Gold 17
Breathing Fire 12
American Gamble 8
Souper Flashy 7
Dixie Morning 5
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