Steve Owens and family celebrated a big win at Woodbine on July 17 when their homebred 2-year-old POULIN IN O T sped to a 3 1/4 length win over five rivals in the $149,250 Victoria Stakes. As an Ontario homebred, Poulin in O T earned the Nobleton, ON family $90,000 for the win.
Trained by Owens, who shared ownership with Empress Stable of his wife Beverly, mother-in-law and daughter Emma, Poulin in O T briefly tracked an early speed battle between Uncle Jock and Velocitor before moving to the lead at the quarter-pole under Luis Contreras. From there, the chestnut gelding darted away. Battle Strike, owned by Tracy Farmer and also an Ontario-bred, rallied for second while Velocitor held third.
The time was 1:04.71 over a somewhat slow Tapeta surface.
Named for Canadian women’s hockey hero Marie-Philip Poulin, Poulin in O T surprised his owner/trainer.
“I would be a lot surprised (if told pre-race Poulin in O T would win easily) because there is a lot of preparation to get to this particular event,” said Owens. “We gave him a hard workout the other morning just because he didn’t get enough out of it a week and a half ago, so he worked :34.2 to get some air into him and today was a performance from that workout.”
Following up a victory from June 24, Poulin in O T is now two-for-two to start his young career.
The gelding is the newest stakes winner for his sire Reload and he is from the Owens family’s Dance Brightly mare Town Dance.
Town Dance has been a gem for the family with six previous winners including multiple stakes winner Seffeara, the Owens’ last stakes winner who took the Bold Ruckus in 2015.
Town Dance is also the dam of La Prevoyante Stakes winner Zazinga.
Town Dance raced just once and was unplaced and her dam is Hawk Lake Fire, a stakes winner of over $221,000.
“There is a lot of hours that go into this, especially 3 a.m. starts every morning. You get to see them develop from the day that they’re born and until the day they make their appearance at Woodbine.”
A $2 win ticket on Poulin in O T returned $8.50.
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