Live Oak Plantation’s multiple Sovereign Award nominated mare OUR FLASH DRIVE made a strong return to the races off the layoff on Saturday at Woodbine, taking the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes at 3-to-5. It was the 4th graded stakes win for the five-year-old by Ghostzapper – Dynamotor by Dynaformer, who is trained by Mark Casse.
Woodbine also noted that it was the 100th graded stakes winner in North America ridden by champion PATRICK HUSBANDS and 350th stakes win overall. Husbands, a champion rider in Barbados, won many stakes races in his homeland before he came to Canada.
Also on Saturday, trainer CATHERINE DAY PHILLIPS sent out her 4th winner from just her 9th starter when first time starter RAPID TEST battled all the way to win a 5 1/2 furlong maiden optional dash in 1:04.50.
The Whimsical Stakes at 6 furlongs set up well for Our Flash Drive, who was last seen winning the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes at 7 furlongs at Woodbine in November. Trainer Casse had not sprinted the mare since her maiden win in June 2021 and while the smooth-striding bay had won stakes at route distances on turf and Tapeta, he considered that the mare might be even better going shorter distances.
Tracking three wide behind the speed duel of Forest Drift and Hard Edge, Our Flash Drive was given her cue by Husbands late on the turn for home and she powered forward to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:10.12 while stablemate Miss Speedy finished well for second for owner Gary Barber. Invading Baby No Worries rallied from last to be third for trainer Tim Girten.
Our Flash Drive is a Florida-bred and the second of two winners for her dam, who was unraced. The Whimsical win brought Our Flash Drive’s totals to six wins in 15 races and $523,344 in earnings.
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Catherine Day Phillips and her team have had a sizzling start to the 2023 Woodbine meeting. It started the season with a win on April 23 with Rags Racing and Rick Howard’s Popnfizz (who was third in an allowance race Saturday) and followed with Halaga on May 5 for the same ownership group.
This week it was the promising filly MILLIE GIRL who charged to a nice win in a $114,000 optional claiming race at 7 furlongs for Day Phillips’ Kingfield Stable, Braconcrest and Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds. Millie Girl, by Hard Spun and bred by Sean Fitzhenry, posted a career best 86 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form for her third win in five races. She raced 7 furlongs in 1:22.94 under Declan Carroll.
On Saturday the barn unleashed Rapid Test, a son of Souper Speedy – Arch Tigress by Archarcharch, a three-year-old gelding who had been working well this spring. Bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds and a $22,000 CTHS Ontario yearling purchase in 2021, the speedy gelding was quickly in a pace battle along the rail with another beginner, Chairman Rainbow (Society’s Chairman) and despite losing a short lead into the stretch, came back on to win by a neck under Kazushi Kimura.
Rapid Test, who was previously named Speedy Tiger, is the first foal from the fast mare Arch Tigress, who won four turf races. He is also owned by Kingfield and Apricot Valley.
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Speaking of sizzling barns, MIKE DUNSLOW sent out his third winner of the meeting with his 10th starter as his own BOSSKAYE, ridden by Patrick Husbands, romped in a $10,000 maiden claiming in her season debut after good efforts for $40,000 last season. The daughter of Society’s Chairman was co-bred by Dunslow and Shannondoe Farm.
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Another barn off to a flying start is that of Ravendra Raghunath, who is now three for 12 after STRIKE THE POSE (Giant Gizmo) won her maiden for $25,000 claiming in race 1. The filly was ridden by Ryan Munger, who is now 2-for-2 since coming to Woodbine from South Africa.
Norseman Racing Stable’s HIT AND RUN won race 2 for $7,500 claiming, her fourth career win. Trained by John Mattine, the Signature Red mare was ridden by Jose Campos.
A big winner on the day was MENDELJOHN (IRE) three-year-old Irish-bred by Mendelssohn who won a maiden $25,000 claiming race by 7 lengths for R T Racing and trainer Wesley Ward. Jason Hoyte rode this gelding who was starting for just the third time and the gelding was claimed from this win by trainer Dale Desruisseaux.
SCOOT DADDY was well prepared off a layoff of 1 1/2 years by Nick Nosowenko to win a maiden special weight by three lengths in 1:10.68 for 6 furlongs in race 5. Ridden by Eswan Flores, Scoot Daddy (We Miss Artie) was returning to racing as a gelding and he had been third in a maiden allowance in December 2021.
It was a big payday for the five-year-old mare LIVIN ON LUV, an Ontario-sired and bred daughter of Silent Name (Jpn) who won an allowance/optional claiming race on Saturday. Owned by GraceLynn Farm and trained by Paul Buttigieg, Livin On Luv upset Casse trainee Adora with a rail-rallying score in the 5 1/2 furlong race under Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Livin on Luv needed 16 races to win her maiden, doing so in November, 2022. She finished third in her season debut on April 22 before this big win in which she collected over $66,000 because of Ontario-sired and bred bonuses.
Buttigieg and Wilson came right back in race 7 and won with OL’ BLONDIE, who streaked to the lead in the 5 1/2 furlong $32,000 allowance/optional claiming race and kept going, winning by 4 1/2 lengths in a quick 1:04.10. The five-year-old mare by Old Forester was 10-to-1 after a soft season opener on April 22. She is co-owned by Jimmy Goodman.
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