It’s been a fun seven days for trainer DALE DESRUISSEAUX from Smithville, ON as he send out a pair of two-year-old fillies to win stakes races the last two Sundays.
The married father of two, who dabbled in training for a few years before getting serious about 10 years ago, send out Garland Williamson’s Dixie Law to beat the boys in last weekend’s Cup & Saucer Stakes and came right back on Oct. 12 with Chiefswood Stables’ PIPER’S GIFT, who romped in the Glorious Song Stakes.
Ridden by Rafael Hernandez, now with 18 Woodbine stakes wins this year and 19 overall in 2025, Piper’s Gift was 6-to-5 in the $143,000 sprint at 7 furlongs, fresh off an eight-length maiden win on Sept. 20. The filly had mixed results in her first two races, which came on grass, but added Lasix and moved to Tapeta to begin this winning streak.
In the Glorious Song, the daughter of Yorkton – Piper’s Legacy by Silent Name (Jpn) stalked a quick pace set by first-time starter Ada Clare (47.30, 1:11.56) and then moved two wide to the lead late on the turn on her way to a 5 1/2 length score in 1:23.56. Ada Clare (Quality Road) was second over Sweet Fusion.
Hernandez, seemingly responding to fellow rider Sahin Civaci’s comment after his Algonquin Stakes win last weekend (“…I outsmarted them just like I always do”), surprisingly retaliated Sunday.
“Nothing is easy in the races, you have to make choices,” said Hernandez. “And the boss here just told me, ‘Rafi, try to give me a smart race. I know usually, maybe one guy says he’s smarter than everybody, but you know, when you got the horse, obviously you look smart. So, I got the horse today. I look smart today.”
Piper’s Gift’s win was the 23rd this year for Chiefswood in North America. The stable of Bob and Mark Krembil has upwards of 10 different trainers in Canada and the US. The Glorious Song was the 13th this year for Desruisseaux, the most wins he has had in one season. His purse earnings went over $1 million (Canadian) which was his goal for this season.
“You know, you’re always worried about a bounce a little bit, but she had probably her best breeze all year in the interim,” said Desruisseaux.
Piper’s Gift is a third-generation Chiefswood horse, as she traces to second dam LONE PIPER (Dehere), a favoured mare of the family. Lone Piper never raced, but produced 10 winners from 11 named foals including Plate Trial Stakes winner Piper’s Thunder, stakes-placed Pipers Future and stakes-placed Piper’s Legacy, the dam of Piper’s Gift.
Lone Piper was a $220,000 yearling purchase by Chiefswood in 1997.
Piper’s Legacy, third in the Eternal Search Stakes on turf, has had one other foal to race and that is the three-year-old winner of this year Pipers Reign.
Read more about Dale Desruisseaux in this recent HBPA feature.
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