Heat and humidity were the stories of the day at Woodbine on Saturday, August 6 (and even higher temps would lead to Sunday’s races being cancelled) and the racing action was hot. Live Oak Plantation’s SOUPER HOITY TOITY, making her second start of the year for trainer Mark Casse, won her second straight stakes race, taking the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. The daughter of Uncle Mo – Town Tour by Speightstown had won the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on the Tapeta in her season debut.
It was Sam-Son Farms’ impressive debut winner, Ladywearsthering, who was sent off as the 9-5 choice, and the Gail Cox trainee broke running from the outside and grabbed the early lead, as longshot Guileful, to her outside, settled into second, with 27-1 Love to Run nestled into third spot. Super Hoity Toity, second choice on the tote board at 4-1, was fifth of nine through the opening quarter reached in :24.33.
Graham Motion-trained Vergara, with David Moran in the irons, confronted Ladywearsthering in early stretch, eventually wresting the lead away from her rival, as Souper Hoity Toity, who appeared stalled on the turn for home, began to gather momentum with an energetic late burst.
At the wire, the Mark Casse trainee poked a head in front of a game Vergara, while Ladywearsthering finished third. Love to Run, also conditioned by Casse, was fourth.
The final time over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course was 1:35.01.
“She spit the bit on me, and I could not get her going,” said winning rider Patrick Husbands. “Things were really going bad for me. I had no horse. I said, ‘You know what? I’m not going around. I can find a way through the crowd.’ And then she got gutsy by the eighth-pole. At the eighth-pole, I was on a different horse. But she loves to win. She’s all class. She’s a legit filly.”
Souper Hoity Toity paid $10.30, $5.90 and $3.50. Vergara ($8.40, $4.90) rounded out a $74.80 exactor. Ladywearsthering ($2.40) completed a $244.90 triactor, while a $1 superfecta with Love to Run returned $1,690. Join the Dance was scratched.
*FRIENDS FOR LIFE indeed. Brent, Russ and Roy McLellan have been friends with trainer Stuart Simon and wife Val for many years and the friends got together for another win on Saturday as their aptly named 2-year-old filly FRIENDS FOR LIFE won her career debut.
The 2-year-old filly, ridden by recent Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gary Boulanger, worked hard in a pace battle early in the 6 furlong race for 2-year-old fillies, fended off chargers into the stretch and pulled clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:11.62. She was 5-to-1 and defeated favoured Fortyfiveseventy (Perfect Timber).
Friends for Life is by Silent Name (Jpn) from Woodbine Oaks winner Ginger Brew (Milwaukee Brew) and she was a $65,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale from Adena Springs.
Ginger Brew, who won the 2008 Oaks, has had six other named foals including stakes winner Jamyson N Ginger and this year’s 3-year-old maiden Lady Brew.
Friends for Life’s race was one of two splits of the maiden/optional and owner/trainer Keith Edwards got his first win of the year when GOLDEN TRAIN, a Florida-bred by Ride On Curlin, won the second split in a slightly faster time of 1:11.27. Second in the race was Society’s Kat (Society’s Chairman) who ran a big race despite drifting out in the stretch run.
*What a year it has been for owner/trainer Bev Chubb and Horsepower Racing and it’s only August. Chubb sent out her seventh winner in her 40th start of 2022 on Saturday as longshot REMEMBERING RHODA (Bog Screen) won a maiden race at five furlongs on turf in her third career race. Bred by Horsepower Racing (Tim Orlando), Remembering Rhoda was making her second start on grass.
*Blinkers off, Lasix on was the winning recipe for Dan Gale and Richard Hogan’s DEVIL’S BIT who won her maiden at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf in her fifth career race. Purchased for just $7,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November in 2019, the Ontario-bred by Daredevil – Souci Girl by Bluegrass Cat, zipped up the inside under Antonio Gallardo to win for $40,000 claiming for trainer Roger Attfield.
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