For the second consecutive day, trainer Barbara Minshall unleashed a first-time starter to win, but this time, during the May 25 card, the beginner was heavily bet.
The aptly-named FLAUNT, by Bolt d’Oro, led from start to finish through 6 1/2 furlongs in a maiden special weight and won by 1 1/2 lengths at 9-to-5 odds. Ridden by Rafael Hernandez, Flaunt had made her presence known on the worktab numerous times this spring and the sharp eyes bet her down as favourite. She ran the distance in 1:16/79
Owned by Legion Racing, Flaunt was a $100,000 yearling purchase in 2023 at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale in Kentucky. She is the second foal and first to win for her dam Patroncita, who was unraced.
Minshall won with Armored Guard, a two-year-old which she owns, on Saturday.
Another beginner to win on Sunday at Woodbine on a much nicer afternoon than it has been weather-wise, was TEC Stables’ REVELER’S ROW, who won the other split of the Flaunt maiden race with a strong move from just off the pace, also under Rafael Hernandez, who won four races on the day.
Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Revelers’s Row was a 7-to-1 outsider as the Live Oak Plantation beginner Let’s Go Souper was 4-to-5. But that rival hopped at the start and never got involved as Reveler’s Row stalked the pace and went on to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:17.69.
An Ontario-bred by Mucho Macho Man – Miss Cherryblossom by American Pharoah, Reveler’s Row was bought by TEC (Elliott Logan) for $30,000 as a short yearling in 2023 at the January Horses of All Ages Sale. Bred by Adena Springs, she is the first foal of her unraced dam. The fourth dam is the great mare DAHLIA.
Nick Nosowenko won the first race of the day with beginner LOVE YOU LIPPY, who won the optional $40,000 claiming maiden race at 6 furlongs in 1:12.49 with Sofia Vives riding. A daughter of Accelerate – Caval by Blame, Love You Lippy was a $3,500 short yearling purchase in 2023 at the Keeneland Horses of All Ages sale by Backstreet Stable. She is the first foal for her winning dam, who is from the family of stakes winner and champion Aljabr.
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The featured race of the day was an allowance/optional sprint which marked the return of undefeated stakes winner FRAC DANCER, who won the Texas Glitter Stakes at Gulfstream in his lone outing of 2024 and winning the Clarendon Stakes and a maiden race in 2023. A grey colt, owned by John Russell, Lou Donato, Joseph and Mike DePaulo and trained by Mike DePaulo, Frac Dancer chased a fast pace set by Rapid Grey and then powered on to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:10.12. Pietro Moran rode.
Unfortunately, it was apparent that Frac Dancer, as he jogged back on the turf course to the winner’s circle, was in some distress. It wasn’t until after he went had his photo taken for the win that he was loaded on to the equine ambulance.
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