New York-based trainer MIGUEL CLEMENT sent out the first and second-place finishers in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes at Woodbine on October 11, capping a big week for the young conditioner. Clement was at Aqueduct on Saturday to watch Love Cervere with the Grade 3 Glen Cove Stakes while Woodbine trainer Katerina Vassilieva assisted at Woodbine.
Just a week ago, Clement was at Woodbine to send out Breath Away (GB) to win the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes and watch as Tawny Port came within inches of winning the Grade 1 Canadian International.
Clement, whose accomplished father, trainer Christophe, passed away earlier this year, also won the Alywow Stakes at Woodbine this year with the same Love Cervere. On Saturday, he brought a new face to Ontario, LES REYS (FR) as well as GAL IN A RUSH, a Sovereign Award finalist for Champion Female Sprinter in 2024. Both gals are co-owned by West Point Thoroughbreds.
Gal in a Rush was made favourite for the 6 furlong Fashion despite never having won at the distance. A stretch runner who was coming off a win in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters, Gal in a Rush is dependent on a fast pace. Two fillies did battle on the pace in the Fashion, maiden winner Biles and invader Girl of My Dreams, but the splits were 23.10 and 46.60, not quick.
Stalking the duelers and placed right on Woodbine’s golden rail (that path has yielded most of the winners in the last couple of weeks) was Les Reys, under leading rider Rafael Hernandez. Les Reys, making her Tapeta and 6 furlong debut, always looked a winner and once she moved off the rail before the stretch run, she was in front. Gal in a Rush came up three-quarters of a length shy of the win with Sahin Civaci aboard. Girl of My Dreams held on for third. The time was 1:10.42.
This was the 17th stakes win for Rafael Hernandez this year at Woodbine, and 18th stakes win of the year, surpassing his previous career best of 17. Raffie won three races on Saturday to move to 101 wins for the meeting, five ahead of apprentice Pietro Moran.
Les Reys is by Penny’s Picnic (Ire) , a Group 3-winning sprinter in France and from the unraced Verglas (Ire) mare Allegria. Bred in France by Athanase Poulopoulos and Haras du Hoguenet, Les Reys has five wins in 12 starts, including the Winter Memories Stakes which she won in her North American debut. Les Reys added Lasix for the first time in the Fashion.
West Point Thoroughbreds shares ownership of Les Reys with Peter Leidel and Winter’s Equine. She is entered in the Keeneland November sale.
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Two races before the Fashion, a scary accident in a maiden special weight race at one mile on the inner turf involved three horses and riders, all of which emerged relatively unscathed.
Inside the quarter pole, the two-year-old KING RONIN appeared to clip heels with NOBORU while out in the three path and he fell, causing a chain reaction. Sahin Civaci was on King Ronin, Leo Salles was on Not a Care, who fell over King Ronin, and Austin Adams was on Balboni’s Crew, who also fell.
Adams was taken to the hospital for examination, but agent Tony Esposito said his rider was doing okay. It was a tough day for Adams, who won a race on Night Striker earlier in the day, but he inadvertently struck another rival horse twice in the head and was disqualified.
The front-runner, Fleet of Foot (Cupid – Fleeting Sensation), won the race for owner Gary Barber and breeder Jennifer Andrews’ Devonleigh Farm in Ontario.
Noboru, with jockey Fraser Aebly, was disqualified from third and placed last by the AGCO stewards, but the inquiry replay with a head-on view of the turn was not made available. Also, Woodbine has deleted videos of the race.
The only replay available of Race 8, October 11 at Woodbine, is from The BloodHorse HERE.
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