Tomasello came off the shelf and prevailed in gritty fashion to capture his first career graded win in Saturday’s $175,000 HPIbet Singspiel Stakes (Grade 3) at Woodbine.
Racing for the first time since early July and ridden for the first time by Emma-Jayne Wilson, the four-year-old bay colt broke smoothly from post position 4, as the field of ten embarked on their journey in the one and three-eighth miles turf route on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
After showing good early foot, Tomasello (Authentic – Dakota Queen, by War Front), settled in third along the rail, as a pair of Chiefswood Stables Limited runners, Coburg and recent Niagara Stakes winner English Actor, ran one-two through an opening quarter mile in :24.82. The third Chiefswood runner Side Street raced fourth with Mesero racing fifth. Dancin in Da’Nile was sixth, followed by the Kevin Attard-trained duo Magna Time and Jokestar. Junipero Serra was ninth and Swift Delivery trailed the field.
Coburg and English Actor continued to race in tandem on the front end, with Wilson and Tomasello tracking from close range in third, through and opening half mile in :49.96 and an opening six furlongs in 1:14.29.
As the field passed the one-mile marker in 1:38.65, Wilson tipped Tomasello out to the three path and they launched their bid at the top of the stretch. Inside the three-sixteenths pole, Tomasello was cut loose by Wilson and the sprint for the wire was on. Side Street quickened outside of Tomasello, with the seven-year-old Dancin in Da’Nile diving inside and as the trio hit the wire, it was the Mark Casse-trained Tomasello scoring by a determined half-length over Dancin in Da’Nile.
The final 11-panel running time was 2:16.67 on a course listed ‘good.’
“My intention was just to get my horse to settle and get into a nice rhythm going a mile and three-eighths and it worked out,” said Wilson, who won the 2022 Singspiel Stakes aboard the Roger Attfield trained Ready for the Lady.
Wilson, who became the highest-earning female rider in history in 2024, did her pre-race homework on the Kentucky-bred son of Authentic and it paid off.
“I went back and watched a few of his replays and he showed off some of his gumption,” said Wilson.
“It was a good race, some stiff competition, but he proved the best today.”
Bred in Kentucky by Barry & Judith Becker, Tomasello broke his maiden on the turf, in career start number five at Keeneland, wiring a field of 12 by three lengths with Jose Ortiz.
In August 2025, he won the 9-furlong Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby by one and a half lengths. However, next out in the Grade 3-Nashville Derby Invitational, he was second before stopping and finished last of twelve.
After a freshening the bay colt returned and with Javier Castellano up, scored nicely in a handicap route over the all-weather course at Gulfstream Park at 9-1. Prior to making his Woodbine debut, he again showed speed and yielded, finishing eighth in the Soldier’s Dancer Handicap at Gulfstream.
In preparing for his Canadian unveiling, Tomasello drilled three bullets in a row over the Woodbine main track, including a sharp five-eighths breeze on August 26th in :59.80.
With the Singspiel win on his resume, Tomasello improved to 5-2-2 from 12 lifetime starts, and won for the fourth time on turf in 8 lifetime starts.
Tomasello appeared at 15-1 on the morning line, was bet down to 5.50-to-1 and returned $13.00 for the win. Dancin in Da’Nile was second, Side Street was third and race favourite Mesero was fourth.
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