Woodbine Saturday: Boardroom Impressive in Duchess, Beginners Shine

Woodbine’s October 3 card of racing was jam-packed with two stakes races and a litany of fascinating races including two maiden events that were won by impressive beginners.

Trainer Jose Carroll continues her roll as she sent out BOARDROOM, owned by LNJ Foxwoods of Larry, Nanci and Jamie Roth to win the Duchess Stakes, sweeping around five entrants from the Mark Casse barn to win by 3/4 of a length in her first stakes win.

The Commissioner – Money Madness, by Rahy bay had won her first 2 career races with ease but had to settle for 3rd in the Ruling Angel Stakes Sept. 12 when a rein broke.

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There was no such wardrobe malfunction in the Duchess as she raced wide and swooped the field under Luis Contreras to win in a time of 1:21.51 for seven furlongs.

“She’s a wonderful filly. This filly showed a lot of promise as soon as she came to me and she’s lived up to every bit of it,” praised Carroll. “This filly could be any kind. I think she’s just going to get better.”

The Kentucky-bred rising star, who was a $475,000 Ocala Spring Sale 2-year-old purchase last year, has been one of many highlights this season for the Hall of Fame horsewoman, who has completed two-thirds of this year’s OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

“This has been a great season. I have an unbelievable team of people working for me and just some really good horses this year.”

The Toronto Cup for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on grass was won by PROVEN STRATEGIES (Sky Mesa – Stormbeforethecalm by Quiet American) who gave the Casse a barn a stakes win on the day anyway. The colt began his career at Woodbine, was 4th in the Summer Stakes (G1) last year but did not win his maiden until March of this year at Gulfstream. He then won an optional allowance and recently won a turf allowance at Saratoga for owners DJ Stable, Jonathan Green and Empire Racing Club.

Leaving hard from the inside post, Proven Strategies got the jump on his eight rivals but was joined on the lead by a trio of speedsters, including 4-5 favourite Shirl’s Speight, the graded stakes winner looking to rebound from his Ricoh Woodbine Mile defeat two weeks ago.

Bexar, between that pair, headed Proven Strategies on the way to the first quarter in :22.80, but Proven Strategies fought back and drew clear as they raced past the half-mile mark in :45.15.

Stein said it was this point in the race that he knew he was on his way to victory lane: “When we put them away early and he put his ears straight up in the air like he was just galloping on the grass and having a good time and we were still half a mile out.”

Shirl’s Speight, with Rafael Hernandez aboard for trainer Roger Attfield, continued to pursue the front-striding Proven Strategies as those two pulled ahead of the pack turning for home and passed three-quarters in 1:09.00, but Proven Strategies just kept on going to score by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:33.78.

Lucky Curlin and Patrick Husbands rallied wide from the backfield to edge out Shirl’s Speight in a photo for place and complete a 1-2 finish for the Casse stable, which also secured fourth-place honours courtesy of supplement Duke of Carthania and Steve Bahen.

Proven Strategies paid $8.60 to win as the 3-1 second choice.

*Two first-time starters wowed in their races at Woodbine Saturday and one of them is the first horse for her owner and was the first winner for her sire.

JILLI MARIE, a daughter of millionaire Dynamic Sky, who stands at Work Wize Farm in Acme, Alberta, burst inside of fillies in mid-stretch and won a loaded maiden/optional claiming race at 6 furlongs for KEVIN DREW of Chatham and trainer Katerina Vassilieva. This is the first horse owned by Drew and he purchased the filly at last year’s Canadian Premier Yearling sale at Woodbine for $15,000 from Shannondoe Farm, agent.

Drew, in fact, purchased the horse from his neighbour, BRIAN WRIGHT, who bred the filly who is the first winner for her sire.

Vassilieva, who also trains for Wright, told CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED about how JILLI MARIE came to be Drew’s first horse:

“Kevin is a hard-working farmer, like his friend Brian Wright, who is next to him. They live in neighboring towns near Chatham. Brian bred his first racehorse (who also won first time out – Society’s Tiger).

Kevin bought Jilli off Brian at the CTHS sale last year, much to my surprise. We were all sitting there as the bidding was happening, and all of a sudden I see Kevin’s hand go up. Brian has bred Society’s Tiger, Curlin’s Tiger and Jilli Marie. All first-time starters and winners. They are both hard-working, humble guys who are just getting into horse racing but have this new enthusiasm for it which is infectious and fun to be around, so I’m so happy for both of them.”

In the next race, race 6, Bruce Lunsford’s DESIGNER READY scored a stunning win in her debut in a 1 1/16 mile turf race.

Lunsford, whose Art Collector would finish fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) later in the day) is the breeder of this Tapit 2-year-old from Bel Air Beauty by Smart Strike.

Trained by Barb Minshall, DESIGNER READY was 12th and last early in the race, moved up 4 wide around the turn, came inside of rivals and then powered past the leaders to win under a hand ride by Patrick Husbands in 1:42.37.

*Judy and Howard Pottins celebrated a win by their homebred ARGENTIUM in race 1, an optional allowance, for their first win of the year. The late-running son of Badge of Silver zipped up the rail under Leo Salles to win for the 2nd time in his career, scooped the bulk of the $60,000 purse.

Trainer Richie Morden got his first win of the season when LION KINGDOM won his maiden in race 10 on the turf for $25,000. Owned by C S Dowson Farms, Lion Kingdom was a private purchase from Stronach Stables and is a son of Animal Kingdom.