The windy weather and much cooler temperatures ruled the day at Woodbine on Saturday, August 10, as fresh and speedy horses won most of the races.
STORMCAST, who was eligible for the Woodbine Oaks and King’s Plate, instead had one prep race since May for this weekend’s BISON CITY STAKES, the second leg of the Triple Tiara for fillies. Shrewdly managed by the Mark Casse team and ridden beautifully by Patrick Husbands, Stormcast led all the way through 1 1/16 miles and won the $250,500 race by 7 3/4 lengths at odds of 6-to-1. Oaks second-place finisher Hurricane Clair gave a good chase throughout and held second over Dancing Duchess. The time was 1:43.25.
Stormcast, bred by Dr. Tan Hyka of HiIllsburgh, ON and owned by the American group KEM Racing Stables of Kenneth Fisbeing, Earl Silver and Michael Eiserman, went fast on the pace in her July 19 outing at 1 1/8 miles and faded to second behind the good older mare Literate. In her only other race this year, she was second in the Honey Ryder Stakes on turf at Gulfstream in May. Last year the daughter of Mitole – Scolara by Quiet American was third in the My Dear Stakes and won her maiden from three starts.
In the Bison City, Husbands took a bit of a hold early and after a half-mile in 47.71, it was clear the dark bay had a lot of power left. With the wind at her back down the backstretch and in the faces of the closers in the stretch run, Stormcast blew her rivals away, adding $150,000 to her earnings, which now total $242,855.
Oaks winner Kin’s Concerto was never going in the mix and ended up seventh. In a surprise, the debut winner Ontario was made the 5-to-2 choice by bettors and a good crowd on-track but she had traffic issues early and a wide trip, ultimately ending up fifth.
Stormcast was sold for $40,000 as a weanling in 2021 at the Keeneland November sale to Monarch Farms. She reappeared at the 2023 Ocala March Two-year-old in training sale and brought $95,000 from KEM, who also owns part of this year’s good three-year-old in the US, Honor Marie.
Stormcast is from the multiple stakes-winning mare Scolara ($458,539) who traces back to her granddad I Pass, a daughter of Buckpasser and dam of Grade 1 winning sprinter Mining.
Scolara has had seven other named foals, five winners. She produced her first foal for the Hyka family in 2019, this year’s winner Commander at Sea.
FULL COUNT FELICIA (War Front – Claire de Lune (Ire) by Galileo (Ire)) also took off early on her rivals and she went on to coast in by 3 2/4 lengths in the Canadian Stakes (G2) at 5-to-2 for Al Gold’s Gold Square LLC, who raced Grade 1 winner Cyberknife, and trainer Kevin Attard. Rafael Hernandez was on board.
A newcomer to Woodbine who had been trained by Chad Summers and Brittany Russell, Full Count Felicia won three of four races last year including the Grade 3 Suwanee Rover Stakes at Gulfstream and the All Along Stakes at Pimlico. Following her sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay in February, she went on hiatus and returned to Ontario with Attard. Her first race here saw her land fourth in the Nassau Stakes (G2).
She was never challenged in the 1 1/8 mile Canadian, allowing the wind to help her along down the long backstretch. Last year’s Champion Older Mare/Main Track Millie Girl was a noble second over Four Towns and Fashionably Fab was fourth.
The time was 1:48.69 over the Taylor turf that was listed as good and certainly a bit cutting after plenty of rain in the past week.
Full Count Felicia has six wins in 17 races and earnings of $458,298. Taking a look at her breeding, odds are that ‘Felicia’ is going to be tough in the E.P. Taylor Stakes next month.
Originally an $85,000 yearling purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, Full Count Felicia, bred by Jospeh Allen, sold for $200,000 to Joe Hardoon, agent, at the Fasig-Tipton May juvenile sale in 2021.
Her dam, Claire de Lune (Ire) was a winner and she is from an all-Irish family. Fourth dam ARCTIQUE ROYALE (Ire) was a Group 1 winner who produced 13 named foals, third dam TRULY SPECIAL was a Group 3 winner who produced E.P. Taylor Stakes winner TRULY A DREAM.
Claire de Lune’s half-sister CERULEAN SKY, also a Group 1 winner, was second in the E.P. Taylor Stakes.
Other front-running winners in the wind on Saturday were CHIPOTLE PEPPER, the Big Screen filly who had had many chances at winning her maiden before taking race 1 by 5 1/2 lengths for Box Arrow Farm and Gold Colbourne; ROCK TO FAME, a very fast claimer who won for Natural Eight Stakes and J and B. Wright and trainer Bill Tharrenos in race 2; GET MY DRIFT, another Tharrenos runner, aired in race 6 for $14,000 claiming; first-time starter CLASSY PARTNER (Classic Empire), who was well prepared by trainer Kelly Callaghan for breeders Alvin Wong and John Stavropoulos and the last race winner on the day, KITTY’SSPEEDYSTARR (Souper Speedy), who was making her first start since November, from the 12 post, for Tom and Connie Patton.
