Canadian racing fans have been spoiled to have so many good locally-bred horses winning graded stakes races from coast-to-coast in 2024. From BC-bred AUGUST RAIN‘s scintillating win in the Grade 3 BC Derby to two Ontario-bred graded stakes winners, September 14 was another big day for Canucks. Toss in the win by Win for the Money, a son of now-Ontario based stallion Mohaymen in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, and it was massive day.
FASHIONABLY FAB’S strong victory in the Ontario Matron Stakes (G3) on the Woodbine Mile (G1) card was one of those warm and fuzzy stories racing loves. Owned and bred by Terra Racing of Dom Romeo and family, Fashionably Fab has risen to the top level of older fillies and mares in the last year and in 2024, had a new rider in apprentice Pietro Moran, a rising star in the jockey ranks.
But following Moran’s spill last week at Fort Erie that led to surgery on vertebrae on his back, Fashionably Fab needed a rider for the Matron, a 1 1/16 mile event on Tapeta. It was a big field and many riders were already taken. The Romeo family and trainer Kevin Attard selected Pietro’s father David who went ahead and guided the almost jet-black filly to, well, a fabulous victory.
Allowed to settle back in 10th early in the race, Fashionably Fab was guided to the rail by Moran late on the backside and she began to move past some very good rivals around the turn. In a blink, the pair were coming after front-runner and multiple graded stakes winner Solo Album, owned by Gary Barber, while that one’s stablemate, champion Elysian Field was following Moran.
Fashionably Fab (Silent Name (Jpn)) was angled out, she swapped leads by mid-stretch and went on to victory holding Elysian Field and Sahin Civaci safe. Ontario-breds finished 1 – 2 -3 as longshot Blueberry Fields, by Frac Daddy, grabbed her first stakes placing (graded) for Brandon Greer. The final time was 1:43.84 for an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.
David Moran, who wore his son’s helmet cover, dedicated the win to Pietro and there were not many dry eyes in the house.
Mike Romeo, grandson of Dom, and family celebrated the victory on track as the senior Romeo and Mike’s father Frank and uncle Mark, were all overseas on vacation.
And just like the family has carried on its love for horse racing through several generations, Dom Romeo’s pedigree lines he curated from the early 1980s have carried on longer than many top Canadian breeding farms.
Fashionably Fab’s third dam, Flashy Chestnut, was bought by Romeo at the 1984 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling sale for $16,000 (US). The Briartic filly won five races and went on to produce the brilliant sprinter Bold ‘n Flashy and Grade 3 stakes winner Flashy n Smart. Flashy Chestnut also produced Regent n’ Flashy who was unraced but is the dam of 2010 Queen’s Plate winner Big Red Mike. Regent n’ Flashy’s 10th foal, Flashy’s Legacy, is the dam of Fashionably Fab, winner Souper Flashy, a placed three-year-old and unraced two-year-old.
Fashionably Fab is now 9-for-15 in her career with $493,102 in earnings. She won the Grade 3 Belle Mahone earlier this year and was second in the Grade 3 Trillium and fourth in the Grade 2 Canadian on turf behind Full Count Felicia, the subsequent E.P. Taylor Stakes winner.
And then there is PATCHES O’HOULIHAN, the blocky bay four-year-old gelding by Ontario sire Reload who is well on his way to following in the hoofprints of his great stablemate, PINK LLOYD.
He has a ways to go yet to match that five-time sprint champion, but Patches was the 2023 Champion Sprinter in Canada and he is three-for-three this year having won the Grade 3 Branded City Vigil on Woodbine Mile day. Frank DiGiulio’s homebred was coming off a win in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes and Pink Lloyd Stakes (naturally) and was odds-on to romp in the Vigil at 6 furlongs for $150,000.
It was fairly easy. Under Sofia Vives, who recently joined the journeyman rider ranks after a superb apprentice stint, Patches O’Houlihan made an easy lead, shrugged off a minor bid from longshot Rockcrest and skipped away to a handy win over a closing Remuda, owned by Godolphin and trained by Eoin Harty. The time of 1:08.88 was good for a 97 Beyer Figure.
Patches O’Houlihan, trained by Bob Tiller, is 10-for-12 in his career and he has $534,656 in earnings. He is the third foal of six-time winner Maythefourthbwithu, by Silent Name (Jpn) and second winner.
“He’s a freak of nature and I think he’s getting better” said Tiller. “If you noticed, this horse never had a workout between his [last two] races and I am proud of that. I really believe horses are overtrained and not undertrained.”
Vigil Stakes replay:
Ontario Matron (G3) replay:
