The weather in southern Ontario continues to be cloudy, cool, windy and, occasionally rainy and the horses seem to love it.
The wind and a slow Tapeta surface made for modest race times on Saturday, May 24, following the similar conditions from Thursday and Friday racing.
And frisky horses proved a handful once again Saturday as the fourth horse in the last four racing days got loose pre-race. Imperial Gold, a first-time starter owned by York Tech Racing, got loose before his four-year-old opener in race 2 and proved to be a tricky one for the outriders to catch. Another beginner, Devil’s Tongue, gave the starting gate crew a tough time once Imperial Gold was caught and it was almost an hour from race 1 to race 2.
Jockey RYAN MUNGER had a big day which began in race 3 with the two-year-old beginner ARMORED GUARD for owner and trainer Barbara Minshall. A New York-bred filly by Central Banker, Armored Guard was 9-to-1 in the 5 furlong dash as Contrary Mary, an Uncle Mo filly owned by Chris Nolan, was odds-on. That filly broke slowly and then stumbled badly, however, and trailed. Armored Guard was outrun early, but rallied in the two path to win nicely while Ontario-bred Miss Maxine closed strongly on the outside for second.
Armored Guard was a $20,000 Ocala Winter Mixed Sale purchase from last year.
Munger was back in the winner’s circle on a nice prospect in DOLCE FORTUNA, co-owned and bred by Josie Carroll and the Di Scola Boys. A daughter of Silent Name (Jpn) – Whatta Girl by Stormy Atlantic, Dolce Fortuna won her only race at two and powered to an even bigger win on Saturday, sizzling though 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.00 for a 79 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Perhaps Munger’s easiest win came on Piano Bar Racing’s TALK TO YA LATER, trainer Ian Black’s first starter of the season. The big six-year-old mare by Perfect Timber is a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed. She was taking a bit of an edge on her rivals in a 7 furlong optional race and came from off the pace to win by 6 lengths in 1:23.55 for a 79 Beyer Figure. Black, former farm manager for Kinghaven Farms, has been training for 20 years and this was his 266th winner.
The exciting filly OUR LADY, a sharp debut winner for JDLP Holdings and trainer Steven Chircop, was back for start no. 2 on Saturday. Under Patrick Husbands, Our Lady (Bolt d’Oro) stalked the speed and then cruised to the lead with ease and won by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:11.22. Since she was eased up late in the race, her final time for the six furlongs was modest (67 Beyer Figure) but she likely could have run faster over what was a slow surface.
SINCLAIRITY, an Ontario-sired and -bred four-year-old filly, is three-for-three in her career and a winner twice in 2025 after a gritty score in race 4. The speedy gal was never passed, won by 3/4 lengths under apprentice Pietro Moran and ran the six furlongs in 1:11.76 for a 58 Beyer Figure. The Souper Speedy filly proved to be difficult to get back to the winner’s circle and appeared to have bitten her tongue.
Owned by Canuck Racing Club, Sinclairity is trained by Kevin Attard. She was bred by Tabita Lee and was a $19,858 yearling purchase at the CTHS Ontario sale three years ago.
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