Shippers Invade for Hendrie Stakes/ Heritage Series Starts Sunday

It’s only early July but PLAY THE MUSIC is a star in the older filly and mare sprint division as she is unbeaten at Woodbine and overall in 2024, four for six with three stakes wins.

The Mo Town filly has been a monster since arriving here for trainer Mark Casse, winning the Grade 2 Royal North and Whimsical Stakes. This is the only horse Casse has started for owners Karl and Cathi Glassman, who are Florida-based. Purchased for $300,000 as a two-year-old in training at the Ocala April sale in 2022, Play the Music has blossomed as a four-year-old. The Hendrie, at 6 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta, will be Play the Music’s fourth outing on Tapeta; she won for the first time on the surface in the Whimsical.

Considering her super record and the fact that the Casse barn has won 13 of 18 races stakes at Woodbine this year, Play the Music will be favoured, but the richest gal in the 12-horse Hendrie field is MARISSA’S LADY, who has over $650,000 in the bank, eight wins in 17 races and a bunch of stakes scores.

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The grey five-year-old by Violence is a homebred for the Ron Boone Family and Richard and Pam Tillema. She is trained by William Morey. The Kentucky-bred has six wins from nine outings on all-weather tracks including the Holiday Inaugural Stakes (92 Beyer Figure) in December at Turfway Park and the Satin N Lace Stakes at Presque Isle last summer.

Marissa’s Lady came off a short layoff with two grass sprint outings in Kentucky but she has never won on the grass. Rafael Hernandez rides the accomplished mare.

GAL IN A RUSH (Ghostzapper) is another formidable entrant and she seeks her first stakes win after four stakes placings. Trained by Christophe Clement for West Point Thoroughbreds, Chris Larsen and Titletown Racing, Gal in a Rush will be trying Tapeta for the first time. Kazushi Kimura will ride. HONEY PANTS, a Grade 3 winner in California, has been entered by trainer Jonathan Thomas for Gerry Isboster and Jim Bakke and Ellis Park Stakes winner UNIFYING makes her Tapeta surface debut for trainer Riley Mott.

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The ONTARIO SIRE HERITAGE SERIES kicks off Sunday with the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Stakes, both at 5 furlongs on turf.

Established in 2021, the Ontario Sire Heritage Series is comprised of three $100,000 legs and a $100,000 final for two divisions: three-year-old colts/geldings, and three-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000.

All three legs and the final are contested over different distances and surfaces: the Woodbine inner turf, the Woodbine E.P. Taylor turf, the Woodbine all-weather track, and the Fort Erie dirt track.

In addition to the $400,000 in purses for each division, there is $70,000 in bonus money that is allocated to the three highest point earners in each division at the end of the series.