Pedigree lines created by the late Gus Schickedanz will be honoured with the 23rd running of the SWEET BRIAR TOO Stakes at Woodbine on August 3. The $125,000 race is a 6 furlong dash on the E.P. Taylor course for three-year-olds and upward, fillies and mares.
A foal of 1986, Sweet Briar Too, by top Canadian sire Briartic, raced just one season and took the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Stakes before she joined Schickedanz’s impressive broodmare band. Her first foal would be the most significant horse for her owner and breeder and an important stallion in North America.
Sweet Briar Too was bred to Danzig and in 1992 produced Langfuhr, who went on to become a Grade 1 winner, Champion Sprinter in Canada, and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He was also a leading sire and broodmare sire.
This is only the second time the Sweet Briar Too has been run on the grass, as it had previously been on the main track.
Several shippers spice up the 11-horse Sweet Briar Too Stakes including LOON CRY , a homebred for Waterville Lake Stables LLC, who came to Woodbine for an allowance race on June 15 and won that 7 furlong turf race with flair. The More Than Ready four-year-old seeks her first stakes win and she will have Woodbine’s leading rider Sahin Civaci on board.
QUEEN OF THE MUD (IRE) comes in from Maryland for trainer Graham Motion. She was second in the Goldwood Stakes on turf at Monmouth last time out. A $257,000 yearling purchase at the Tattersalls October sale in 2022, Queen of the Mud is by Kodiac (GB) and owned by Siena Farm, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber et al.
One mare returning to Ontario is GASTOWN BABE, who was foaled here but has been racing in Maryland. The daughter of Vancouver (Aus) was bred by the late Cathy McEwin of CAM Equestrian, Dr. Megan Kerford, who owns, and trainer Justin Nixon.
Gastown Babe has specialized in short turf races at Laurel since last year.
HERITAGE SERIES
LIVE LUCKY and LITTLE TEDDY, winners of the first legs of their respective Heritage Series races on July 7, are back for leg two on Sunday at Woodbine. The first legs were at 5 furlongs on turf; this weekend, the Lake Superior and Thunder Bay Stakes (fillies) are at 6 furlongs on turf.
Live Lucky, by Perfect Timber, is undefeated in two races and will add Lasix for this weekend’s dash. Trained by Kevin Attard, the sleek dark bay is owned by Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl and Aaron Kennedy.
LITTLE TEDDY, owned by York Tech Racing Stable, won the Georgian Bay Stakes by a neck over 3-to-5 favourite Olivia Rose. Santino DiPaola trains and Sahin Civaci will ride. Little Teddy is by Frac Daddy.
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