Ontario-sired and bred IL MALOCCHIO picked a good time to win her first race of the 2022 season with a late rush to take the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes, worth $171,300, at Woodbine on November 12.
The daughter of Souper Speedy became that sire’s first graded stakes winner with her first graded win for owner and breeder Franco Meli of Orangeville, ON and trainer Martin Drexler.
Sent off at 9-to-1, surprisingly low given the fact that the 4-year-old was 0-for-7 this season coming into the 1 1/4 mile Maple Leaf, Il Malocchio and jockey Sahin Civaci relaxed in fifth early in the race behind an early scramble for the lead which developed between 2-1 choice Transient (GB), with American rider Jose Ortiz in the irons, Angelous and Creative Cairo. Transient eventually struck front after leaving from the outside post 11, and then proceeded to take her 10 rivals through an opening quarter in :23.93.
Transient (GB) was a half-length on top through a half-mile reached in :47.12, while Il Malocchio, still fifth, was yet to be given her cue from Civaci.
As the field turned for home after three-quarters in 1:11.82, Transient (GB) was under pressure from Angelou to her outside, while Il Malocchio kept gaining on the leaders, moving into third position at the stretch call.
With Angelou and Transient (GB) matching strides, Il Malocchio blew by to earn a one-length victory in a time of 2:02.55. Angelou bested Transient (GB) by a half-length for the runner-up spot, while Silent Causeway rallied from far back to secure fourth.
Il Malocchio, produced from the Sligo Bay (Ire) mare Egbert Bay, was a stakes winner in her first two seasons of racing and began 2022 in Florida with a super third-place finish to American star Letruska in the Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes. Following a sixth in the Sand Springs on turf at Gulfstream, Il Malocchio came home to be second in the Belle Mahone Stakes but then lost an optional claiming race on turf at 40 cents on the dollar. Back on Tapeta, she was eighth behind Lady Speightspeare in the Trillium Stakes (G3) and then fourth and second in optional events.
“First of all, she’s enjoying the cooler weather for sure,” offered Drexler. “She had a couple of little setbacks in the summer. I also thought she got the perfect trip today. It was a perfect setup right from the beginning. She sat just off the pace, there was a little bit of pace to run at, she saved ground, and the rail was good today. It just really set up for her. She’s just been always on. Some days, she struggles in the heat a bit. This weather and the type of track we had today, I think she enjoyed that.”
Meli, who will turn 50 on Sunday, was equally pleased with the filly who won the 2020 edition of the Victorian Queen Stakes and last year’s Bison City Stakes.
“For some reason, I was very confident,” offered Meli. “It was the distance. The mile and a quarter I thought would really help her, and the cooler weather. I knew she had a really rough summer.”
Il Malocchio is now 3-6-3 from 19 races with earnings of over $450,000.
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The co-featured Bessarabian Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares at 7 furlongs was easily won by Live Oak Plantation’s OUR FLASH DRIVE (Ghostzapper) who was turning back from route distances for trainer Mark Casse. The Florida homebred and jockey Patrick Husbands had a strong middle pace to run at, set in part by multiple stakes winner Hazelbrook, and flew by to win by 5 3/4 lengths in a very fast time of 1:20.79. A stakes winner at Saratoga on the turf this summer and a double stakes winner in 2021 at Woodbine, Our Flash Drive has 5 wins from 14 races and earnings over $483,000. Hazelbrook held for second by a head over Loyalty.
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Other winners on a brisk Saturday at Woodbine included Vidal Squires’ LUZ DE LA LUNA, who won a $25,000 claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs for trainer Nathan Squires. In the midst of a career year by purses, Squires has won 7 races in 2022 and was freshly back from sending out Cairo Consort to be third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland.
Race 5, a maiden 2-year-old optional $40,000 claiming dash at 6 furlongs, was won impressively by first-time starter PARAMOUNT PRINCE for new owner MIKE LANGLOIS. Trained by Jamie Attard, Paramount Prince had speed from the inside under Slade Jones and was moving nicely around the turn. The chestnut gelding by Society’s Chairman – Platinum Steel by Eddington) then darted away to win by nine lengths in a sharp 1:09.67.
A $21,000 yearling purchase from breeder Ericka Rusnak, Paramount Prince is the second winner for Langlois. His first horse, Magic Spin, raced five times in 2021 and then won his maiden earlier this season.
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