Sunday’s racing was held on the warmest day of the Ontario spring to this point (which is not saying all that much, as it has been a cold spring!). The Tapeta seemed to like the sun as the track was very quick from the morning workouts to the afternoon races.
Multiple winners on the card included the combination of trainer MIKE DOYLE and jockey DAVID MORAN. Doyle is co-owner of ENTRY TO HEAVEN with Dura Racing, and that gelding was all set for his season opener in race 2. Racing for a $14,000 claiming price, the Point of Entry gelding won for the first time on the main track with a handy score.
The team came back in race 5 with C. Scott Abbott’s homebred gelding DIXIE GIANT, who had not raced since July 2021 when he raced just twice that summer. The son of Giant Gizmo, who actually had never crossed the finish line in front as of yet (he was second in a maiden race in Sept. 2020 but placed first through disqualification), worked hard to get past favoured Souper River in the $25,000 claiming race.
Sunday’s card had a number of impressive debut winners on the card. The well-bred LOYALTY, by Hard Spun out of Slews Quality by Elusive Quality, was a romping winner of a maiden allowance for fillies, race 4, for trainer Josie Carroll. Carroll received this gal in Florida this winter and the Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods sophomore had impressed in workouts. She was certainly a buzz-name around the track and was a clocker’s pick handpicked by most handicappers. At 6-to-1 in the morning line, she was below even money in the early betting and finally went off at 2-to-1.
Loyalty is a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Shamrock Rose.
Bernie Kooner’s ANARCHY also impressed in his first race and he was offered for $40,000 claiming in the 6 furlong dash. Trained by Dale Desruisseaux, this 4-year-old had fast workout times and is a half-brother to two debut winners. He was 7-to-2 and won handily under Gary Boulanger in 1:09.68, slightly faster than 109.83 posted by Loyalty.
Trainer Wesley ward won another race, this time with his own beginner HELMS BEAR, a 4-year-old debut runner who led all the way for $15,000 claiming. The son of Iqbaal was claimed by trainer Martin Drexler.
The TWO fastest of the winners on the 10 race card were CHUCK WILLIS and LAST AMERICAN EXIT.
Chuck Willis is one of the quickest horses we have seen at Woodbine in the last couple of years. The Irish-bred is a bit delicate, however, as he missed all of 2019, raced just twice in 2020 and had only four runs last year. In this $62,500 claiming race, the 6-year-old owned by Gary Barber broke well from the rail post and led all the way in 56.86. He is 3 for 4 on the Woodbine Tapeta and is 6 for 11 in his career. Mark Casse trains. His rider, Kazushi Kimura, won three races on the day.
LAST AMERICAN EXIT, a son of Society’s Chairman owned and bred by Frank DiGiulio Jr. wore down the very quick Mokwa to win race 9, a $40,000 optional claiming race. Making his first start since November and wintered in Ontario, the 5-year-old is trained by Bob Tiller, who is recovering from knee surgery. The time for the race of 109.15 was a sharp clocking for the day.
Trainers Martin Drexler and Ricky Griffith both won their first races of the meeting. Pride and Passion won a $7,500 claiming race for owner Bruno Schickedanz and Griffith sent out Steve Duffield’s Pino in a Purse to win the finale, a starter/optional claiming dash.
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