*Saturday Woodbine recap can be found here.
Ontario-bred GRETZKY THE GREAT scored in his stakes debut on Aug. 23 at Woodbine when the 2-year-old bay colt won the Soaring Free Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf course. The colt, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Gary Barber, became the first stakes winner for his first-year sire NYQUIST, a Kentucky Derby winner.
Now a winner of 2 of his 3 career races, this quick juvenile sped the distance in 1:13.83, getting past US invader Into the Sunrise as 2 to 1 second choice to Victoria Stakes winner Ready to Repeat.
Mark Casse trains Gretzky the Great who was bred by Anderson Farms in St. Thomas and was a $295,000 RNA at the 2019 Fasig Tipton October sale. The colt is the second foal to race from the stakes-placed mare Pearl Turn by Bernardini.
The Catch a Glimpse Stakes was the 2-year-old filly counterpart of the Soaring Free and it was a thrilling finish as invader ALDA nabbed Dreaming of Drew on the wire for Wertheimer et Frere who bred the daughter of Munnings. Graham Motion trains Alda and Steve Bahen rode. Woodbine trainer Renee Kierans substituted for Motion.
The 6-1/2-furlong sprints contested on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, which both ended in exciting finishes, are local preps for the upcoming Grade 1 Summer and Natalma, a pair of Breeders’ Cup ‘Win And You’re In’ one-mile turf stakes set for September 20.
Sent postward as the 5-2 second choice following a maiden-breaking victory on July 9 at Belmont Park, Alda returned $7.30 to win. Illegal Smile settled for third 1-1/4 lengths back, while Emmeline, Road to Romance and Purrsuade Me completed the order of finish. Ostracize was a late scratch.
The final time was 1:14 flat.
“I had talked to [Graham Motion] this morning and I watched her races yesterday,” said Bahen. “She’s got a real big kick and we discussed that we should just be off the pack, three or four off would be nice. I ended up being a little further back than I wanted to, and she gave me that run she has.
“It was my first time on her, and she was pretty classy,” added the veteran reinsman.
More Sunday
The three races scheduled for the inner turf course came off and were moved to the Tapeta as the course is undergoing maintenance.
Race 1 – Live Oak Plantation’s homebred SALUTE WITH HONOR just about beat the track record for 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta with his romp in this $62,500 optional claiming race. He ran in 1:42.86, just 70/100 off the record and it was his 6th win in 18 races. The 6-year-old gelding was racing for a claiming tag off a short layoff as was his classy stablemate Revved Up who was second.
Race 4 – Trainer PHIL GRACEY grabbed his first win of the 2020 season when Eileen Gilbert’s DANCER’S GHOST flew to a maiden win at 7 furlongs, one of the races that came off the inner turf. The son of Giant Gizmo – Zafrina by Ghostzapper was a Canadian Premier Yearling Sale graduate for just $12,000 in 2018. He was sold by Gail Wood’s Woodlands for Donver Stable and his earnings now top $60,000 (US). Sahin Civaci rode.
Speaking of the CANADIAN PREMIER YEARLING SALE – one of the sales toppers of 2019 was a winner Sunday at Woodbine. DOWNLOAD may not have the sexiest name for a racehorse but he won his maiden by battling on the lead in his grass debut in race 5, picking up some $78,000 (Can.) for the win as an Ontario sired and bred fellow.
The son of Society’s Chairman – Jademarie by Malibu Moon was unplaced in two Tapeta races to start his career but edged clear in this 7 furlong race, posting a time of 1:22.08.
A $200,000 sales purchase, the dark bay colt was actually bred by Robert Marzilli who is still co-owner with La Amici Racing and the partnership was formerly New Generation racing. Mike DePaulo trains.
Marzilli and DePaulo came right back to win race 6 with VELOCE, another Society’s Chairman fellow, this guy now with 2 wins in succession under Justin Stein.
The light grey MNEMBA ISLAND, a Kentucky-bred son of Ontario sire Conquest Curlinate, made is 2 for 2 at Woodbine in route races when he took race 10. Trained by Julia Carey for Goldie Stables and Discovery Racing, the stretch-running gelding suffered heat exhaustion after the race and needed a team of track workers to hose him.
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