Woodbine’s 2024 meeting hosted its first Friday afternoon card of the season on May 10 and it was a remarkable day for 50-year-old jockey SHANE ELLIS, who was away from riding in North America for 16 years before returning last year.
Considering Ellis won just seven races in 2023, the Friday triple for the Jamaican suggests a big year is on the horizon.
His big day made news on the pages of the Jamaica Observer.
Ellis won the first race of the day on the filly LADY XI, who defeated the boys in a maiden race for trainer Paul LePiane. Two races last he angled out JULIE’S MIST for a winning rally for trainer Carl Fuoco and owner Norman de Souza in a $25,000 claiming sprint. And two more races later, Ellis managed to win on longtime maiden TREBUCHET for Sherry McLean’s Northern Dawn Stable and Dave Padayachee, and trainer Krista Cole. Trebuchet (Reload) was making his 28th career start and first of the year. His maiden win pushed his earnings to about $100,000 (CAD), the third foal from the stakes-winning mare Tenjectory to win at least $100,000.
Trainer JOHN ROSS won the late DOUBLE on Friday. The promising JUNIOR HOT SHOT, owned and bred by Dr. Brian Van Arem and the T and T Racing Team, was an off-the-pace winner of an allowance/optional claiming dash at 6 furlongs in 1:10.53 for a 77 Beyer Speed Figure. Junior Hot Shot won his career debut last October and then was third in the Frost King Stakes to No More Options.
The day bay colt, bought back by Dr. Van Arem for $55,000 from the 2022 CTHS Yearling Sale, is by Souper Speedy from the mare Executive Dreamer, a daughter of Bold Executive. Executive Dreamer (2010) is an unraced full sister to champion sprinters Main Executive and Blonde Executive. Executive Dreamer has had five other foals to race, all winners. She has a two-year-old this year named Bennys Jet, by Shaman Ghost.
SATURDAY was a cool and cloudy day in the Greater Toronto Area and while there was not a stakes race on the nine-race card, there were four win photos on an exciting day of racing for fans.
One of the highlights of the day was the victory by the incredible war horse LAPOCHKA, now 11, who rolled to a handy win for $23,500 claiming in his 2024 opener. The chestnut gelding, owned by Eight Star Racing and trained by Vito Armata, merely had to track a slow pace from the rail under jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, angle out and then gallop to a 3 1/4 length win in 1:24.40 for seven furlongs. It was the 19th career win for the son of English Channel from 76 races. He has earned $517,801 (US).
Eight Star has owned the gelding since July 2021.
Two fancy winners on the day were stakes winner RONDURE and newcomer METAPHYSICAL.
Rondure, owned and bred by Borders Racing, won a thrilling stretch run with Border Town and took a $116,700 allowance/optional claiming race in his first race since last June. The five-year-old horse by Oxbow was well prepared by trainer Katarina Vassilieva and well ridden by Rafael Hernandez, his second win of the day. Rondure has four wins in 11 races and $251,954 in earnings.
Metaphysical came to Woodbine for owner John P. L. Ryan last November after Ryan bought her at the Keeneland November sale for $240,000 as a racing or broodmare prospect. A chestnut four-year-old (this year) by American Freedom, Metaphysical was second in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in September and previously had been fourth to the now-Grade 1 winning Vahva in the Charles Town Oaks.
Ryan, who raced Fanore at Woodbine last year, sent his filly to trainer Tony Gattellaro and she had a perfect run to win her Woodbine debut Saturday in a seven furlong Tapeta race. Jockey Kazushi Kimura angled the filly out and she sped to a 1 1/4 length win over the promising Ready for Shirl, a debut winner at Keeneland for trainer Roger Attfield. Metaphysical is from the unraced mare Another Ghazo by Haynesfield. Second dam Ghazo is the dam of three stakes winners.
Emma-Jayne Wilson got her first two wins of the season with KAVALA in the first race for trainer Bill Tharrenos and QUIET MADDELENA in the finale for trainer Steve Chircop.
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