The Ontario Sire Heritage Series launched Friday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack with a pair of $100,000 stakes, the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.
The five-furlong Inner Turf events are part of the Ontario Sire Heritage Series, an eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario Sired 3-year-olds, to be contested at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks. The Lake Huron and Georgian Bay were originally scheduled for Sunday, August 7, but were cancelled, along with the rest of the card, due to extreme heat.
The two stakes races kicked off a strong weekend of racing at Woodbine with three graded stakes races set to be run on Saturday and Sunday. Next week, it’s Plate week with the post position draw on Wednesday for the August 21 Canadian classic.
Racing fans were right on in their selection of favourites for the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.
C Scott Abbott’s homebred SILENT RUNNER (Silent Name (Jpn) – Flashy Consort by Bold n’ Flashy) was even money in the Lake Huron based on his form from 2021 when he won the Frost King Stakes and was stakes placed on the turf. The dark bay colt, trained by Mike Doyle, had dabbled in tougher situations this year and was taking a solid edge on his rivals in the Lake Huron.
And under David Moran, the colt had a great trip behind a wild pace battle that materialized between Light the Lamp and Uncle Joe, who sped to the first two-furlong mark in a sizzling 21.26.
Light the Lamp gained the upper hand as the field approached the turn for home, but Silent Runner, winner of last year’s Frost King Stakes, loomed as a major threat to his outside.
Silent Runner grabbed the lead mid-way in the stretch drive and went on to notch a 1 ½-length score. Light the Lamp, who held for second, was subsequently disqualified and placed last for interfering with Souper Rush in the early stages of the race. Bossy Holiday was placed second and Uncle Joe was elevated to third.
The final time for the race over firm going was :56.78.
It was the fourth win to go along with a trio of thirds in 10 starts for Silent Runner, who is the sixth straight winner for his dam.
In the Georgian Bay for fillies, 3-5 BREATHING FIRE was full of run late to notch her first stakes score in a time of :56.66. The margin of victory was 2 ¾ lengths.
Trained by Sid Attard for owner-breeder Howard Walton (Norseman Racing Stable), the dark bay by Signature Red – Poke the Dragon, by City Zip was coming off a strong third place finish in the Grade 3 Royal North Stakes at 64-to-1.
She is now 4-0-2 from eight career starts.
Pleasure’s Gold, trained by Tino Attard, was second, while Forest B, trained by Tino’s son and Sid’s nephew Kevin Attard, was third.
On Friday, horse people and others gathered in the winner’s circle, donning purple shirts, to celebrate a ‘Happy Heavenly 60th Birthday’ in honour of the late Martha Gonzalez, wife and assistant trainer to Nick Gonzalez.
*Trip handicappers, players who watch races and replays and take notes on horses who have trouble in their races, had a field day on Friday. In race 1, several horses were checked hard early in the six furlong allowance/optional claiming race while Gary Barber’s TWELFTH MOON led gate-to-wire for her third straight victory under Patrick Husbands.
A maiden 2-year-old race, race 2, saw the well-bet beginner One Bay Hemingway break to the far outside from his outside post, rush to the lead and tire only late in an awkward but pleasing career debut. The winner was first-time starter SILENT FORTUNE (Silent Name (Jpn) – Lana’s Fortune by Harlan’s Holiday) who was well prepared by Gail Cox for the Picture Time Stables of Mike Ambler and Greg Lang.
Race 5, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up, featured a big pace battle between three runners, setting things up nicely for DISSECTOLOGIST (Reload – Lovely Cersei by Best of the Bests (Ire)) who took the $123,000 race under Patrick Husbands for Northern Dawn Stable, Kathy Biers, Brian Patterson and Michelle Love, who also trains.
On the turf for race 8, Classy Whisper encountered a boatload of traffic problems throughout the race and closed well once he was free. The winner of that race, which also featured a very tough pace battle, was LONG POND, the Not Bourbon gelding who had been second in three of his four races this year. The Ontario-bred is owned by Charles Buscaglia and trained by Mike DePaulo.
Race 9, won by Windylea Farm’s HAVE A SOUPER DAY, trained by Martin Drexler, saw Aim for the Sky checked numerous times in the race, and Concealed Carry also encountering trouble.
More than $5 million was wagered on the 10-race card.
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