Trainer Kevin Attard and the X-Men Racing-3, Madaket Stable and SF Bloodstock made a shrewd move to supplement the two-year-old filly PIPIT to the Victoria Stakes for two-year-olds on July 16. The filly had also been entered in Saturday’s My Dear but when the Victoria was coming up light on entries, the $2,500 supplemental fee was put up.
In just over one minute from gate to the finish line, Pipit and jockey Patrick Husbands easily made the gamble pay off as she won by four lengths, earning $78,750.
It was the second career race of the Kentucky-bred by Quality Road – Browse by Medagalia D’Oro filly who was purchased by X-Men’s Donato Lanni for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale. Pipit was bred by Will Farish and Gage Hill Stables, LLC.
Second in her career debut, Pipit added blinkers for the Victoria.
“I was a little disappointed with her first start, ” said Attard. “I thought she was good enough to win; her first time out she kind of opened up a good lead and got loafing,” Attard explained. “We came back and experimented with the blinkers. I thought she breezed well, so I thought we would give it a go today.”
Pipit is the second foal to race of stakes placed Browse (four for 18, $204, 689) who is a half-sister to Imagining, winner of the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes and three Grade 3s. Second dam Daydreaming won the Grade 3 Top Flight and Next Move Handicaps.
Kevin Attard, who is one win away from 700 career victories, has won with seven different two-year-olds this year already from 13 starters.
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Jockey SAHIN CIVACI continued his incredible roll on Sunday with his second four-win day since Saturday, July 8. Civaci, who has won on 13 of his last 31 mounts, is third in the rider standings behind Kazushi Kimura, who returns from concussion protocol Thursday, and Rafael Hernandez.
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Hoolie Racing Stables, LLC won with its first Ontario-bred on Sunday when PONTIAC won a maiden two-year-old optional claiming race. Hoolie Racing, which is David, Andrew and Greg Hudson, is American-based but has raced horses at Woodbine for several years with trainer Barbara Minshall. Hoolie purchased Pontiac’s dam, Ontario-bred Take Charge Les, from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling sale from Track West Syndicate for $50,000. After a few workouts, Take Charge Les was retired. Pontiac is her first foal and he is by Exaggerator.
Pontiac was unplaced first time out after some trouble but won a bumping battle with first-time starter Buck’s Fizz on Sunday to win by a head.
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