Woodbine Hosts Its Own Championship-Type Races

If you are having withdrawal from the 14-race Breeders’ Cup World Championships last weekend at Del Mar, Woodbine has three important graded stakes races on Saturday, November 9. Each race has a large field and championship implications.

Beginning with race 7, the Maple Leaf Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles, there are three big races in succession to start the final Pick 4.

Race 8 is the seven furlong BESSARABIAN STAKES, named after a champion racemare. This race is not as old as the Maple Leaf (G3) or race 9, the Autumn Stakes (G3), but it has gone a long way in determining the year’s champion female sprinter.

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This year’s Ontario leader in the distaff sprinter division, Play the Music, has been sidelined following wins in the Whimsical and Royal North Stakes and a third in the Hendrie. That leaves the door open for perhaps GAL IN A RUSH, who won the Hendrie and placed in the Seaway (G3) and Presque Isle Masters (G2). The Christophe Clement-trained invader will have Rajiv Maragh on board for her third run at Woodbine this season. Then there is A GAME, who won the Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) at 48-to-1 last month for trainer Josie Carroll.

Race 9 is the HPIBET AUTUMN STAKES (G3), inaugurated in 1902. The race’s distance has been changed this year from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles and current leader of the Older Male Main Track category, PARAMOUNT PRINCE, the 2023 King’s Plate winner, is looking to rebound from a dull run in the Durham Cup (G3). ‘Prince’ has two graded stakes wins this year. The competition is stern. Three-year-old DRESDEN ROW, who won the Durham Cup and has since won the Ontario Derby, is going for Champion three-year-old in Canada as he crams another start into his busy fall campaign.

A pair of Kevin Attard trainees for Repole Stable, NEVER SURPRISED and BAIL US OUT, are in the hunt as is multiple stakes winner FOREVER SOUPER from the Mark Casse barn.

Forever Souper just set a track record at Presque Isle for 1 1/16 miles in the Presque Isle Mile, 1:41.20, and he’s won nine of 18 races.

Casse also has the dark hose TOSEN WISH (Ire), who sizzled in his Woodbine debut on the grass and is a two-time winner on synthetic dirt overseas.