Woodbine Racetrack celebrated 30 years of Patrick Husbands on May 18 and the Barbados-born Brampton resident showed off his talent on the day, guiding WITWATERSRAND to an impressive victory in the Ruling Angel Stakes. Earlier in the day, Husbands also put forth one of his vintage rides when he brought Lantana Lady from last and through traffic to win a five furlong turf dash.
Husbands, who will be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, is one of Canada’s all-time great riders and is an intelligent horseman who has played a large role in developing horses for his longtime friend, trainer Mark Casse.
On a day when Woodbine invited the Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, a host of former horse racing industry members, and Woodbine staff, most of whom have only seen Husbands ride in the last year or two, it was Husbands and Casse again.
Witwatersrand, voted the 2023 Champion two-year-old filly in Canada at the Sovereign Awards. is a Kentucky-bred owned by Gary Barber, and she had a nice little record last year with two wins including a score in the Mazarine Stakes (G3).
But the Connect filly had a disastrous winter, finishing last in the six-horse Forward Gal Stakes on the dirt at Gulfstream Park and then on the turf in the 11-horse Florida Oaks.
It seems as if a little Woodbine and Tapeta and Patrick Husbands was all she needed to get back to form.
Trailing early at the outset of the seven furlong race worth $100,000, Witwatersrand let barnmate C C Royal set sail on a clear lead while Star Shoot Stakes winner Sabatini chased in second. After moderate fractions of 23.25 and 46.57, Husbands allowed Witwatersrand to move along the rail before he angled her out to split fillies. In a matter of seconds, the pair were long gone. Witwatersand won by four lengths in 1:21.99, good for a hefty 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
A $65,000 yearling purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale by ‘Bobby D.’, Witwatersrand debuted for D J Stable and Casse’s Quintessential Racing Florida in September. She won and then was offered at the Fasig-Tipton Digital Sale in October where she was bought for $230,000 by ‘Deputy’.
This is the second horse named Witwatersrand that Casse has been associated with. He bred a gelding with that name in 2007, a son of Pico Central who did not race.
This year’s Witwatersrand is the third foal and second winner for the mare Carta de Oro, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who won one of eight races. Witwatersrand is inbred three-by-three to Smart Strike, the grandsire of Connect and Carta de Oro.
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