Heavily-favoured OUTLAW KID, a dark bay four-year-old gelding bred by the late Robert Harvey in Ontario, returned to his home province for the second time in his career and this time, he was a winner.
Owned by R A Hill Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds and trained by George Weaver in New York, Outlaw Kid (Violence – Calling Rhy Rhy by City Zip) took the $150,000 Vice Regent Stakes for Ontario-bred three-year-olds and upward at 5 furlongs on the turf at odds of 3 to 5.
The gelding had been at Woodbine for the July 1 Highlander Stakes (G2) but he was burned out in a tough pace battle that day. Following a close 4th-place finish in an allowance race at Saratoga, he returned August 5 for the restricted stakes race that also lured Pink Lloyd Stakes winner Rockcrest.
It was the brilliantly quick three-year-old Silent Reserve who flew to a clear lead early in the dash and the son of Silent Name (Jpn) held tough to the 6th pole when Kazushi Kimura and Outlaw Kid nabbed him before the wire. Mason’s Gamble finished third.
Outlaw Kid was purchased as a two-year-old in training at the 2021 Ocala April sale for $220,000. He had previously sold for $80,000 as a yearling at the 2020 Fasig Tipton Kentucky sale.
The gelding won the second time out in his career in a 5 1/2 furlong turf sprint at Saratoga and won again at Aqueduct. He finished third in a minor stakes race in 2022. In 2023, the gelding won his season debut at Belmont in a 6 furlong turf sprint with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
The time of the Vice Regent was 56.22.
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Shirley Camilleri’s Malta Manors won its first race of 2023 when ZANA led all the way to win a maiden special weight on the turf worth $82,928. The Ontario-bred filly by Goldencents – Philzana by Philanthropist was a $50,000 yearling purchase two years ago from the CTHS Ontario sale, offered by breeder Denny Andrews. Zana was making her first start for Malta Manors’ new trainer Steve Flint and the filly fended off all rivals under Justin Stein to win the 6 furlong sprint in 1:09.92, collecting over $52,000. Camilleri and husband Anthony also own and operate Camhaven Training Centre in Caledon.
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Trainer KADAIN GORDON sent out TARADAR, an Ontario-bred by Graydar, to a 13-to-1 upset win on the turf in race 5 for $7,500 claiming. Ridden by apprentice Amanda Vandermeersch, Taradar led all the way through 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. It was the first win for Gordon since 2019. Lisa Keogh owns Taradar.
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UPHILL DANCE, a two-year-old filly by Tonalist, was well prepared by trainer Rachel Halden to win her career debut in race 6 on Saturday. The Kentucky-bred is owned by Uphill Stable and she led most of the way through 6 furlongs under Emma-Jayne Wilson, winning in 1:11.94.
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JUSTIN STEIN wrapped up the day with his second win when he guided GRACE ON THE GREEN from a last-to-first win in a maiden race on turf. The winner, a filly owned by T and T Racing, is trained by Stein’s wife Jennifer. Grace on the Green is a five-year-old mare by Giant Hizmo from Siddona, who is also the dam of Silent Reserve, who was second in the Vice Regent Stakes.
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