The last race Thursday night at Woodbine was one of the oddest events to be run in 2025 and may have been the slowest event run at the track since synthetic dirt was added.
MRS. HOT SHOT won the 1 1/16 mile race for claiming fillies and mares with a tag of $5,000 and the manner in which the bay filly by Silent Name (Jpn) won was strong considering she was under such a hard hold her head was turned to the inside. Her rivals were also under strong holds and that led to the first two furlongs of the race going in 26.89, followed by half a mile in a glacial 54.47. It was by this time that Radio Goo Goo and jockey Eswan Flores rushed up after a slow start to grab the lead, hoping to take advantage of the others taken back off the pace.
Six furlongs went in 1:20.34 and Radio Goo Goo could not keep going as Mrs. Hot Shot and others closed for the top prizes. The final time was 1:51.18, almost 11 seconds slower than the track record.
Two other 1 1/16 mile races on Thursday evening went in 1:50 and change.
It’s no secret that when the weather gets colder (it was 7 degrees Celsius last evening) and the class of races drop right down, the times of races at Woodbine get slower. There is no evidence of a Polytrack or Tapeta race going that slowly for half a mile or 1 1/16 miles, but late in 2000, the two-year-old Devil Valentine won the Kingarvie Stakes at Woodbine over a sloppy and snowy track in 1:51.37. The races were cancelled due to track conditions two races later.
Track announcer Robert Geller said following Thursday’s last race, “I don’t think I have ever called a half mile in 54.”
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