The first two races for two-year-olds of the 2024 Woodbine season took place on May 12 and the split maiden special weight went to a filly in race 1 and a colt in race 3.
FRENCH HORN, an Ontario-bred by the exciting young Kentucky sire COMPLEXITY, was odds-on to win her debut for the California-based BG Stable and trained Mark Casse and she handily led from start to finish under apprentice Sofia Vives.
French Horn was bred by Narola, LLC of Peter Berglar. Her dam, Emma’s Encore, originally a $1,000 sale yearling, won the Grade 1 Prioress Stakes during her career.
The second juvenile race was more exciting as SOL DE VERANO, by another promising freshman sire, Thousand Words, won a stretch battle with Admiral Nelson to win the 4 1/2 furlong dash by a head under apprentice Fraser Aebly.
Sol de Verano is owned by trainer Nathan Squires plus Alberta Campos-Cota and Joseph Freeman.
One race of interest on a mild Sunday over a Tapeta surface that was playing fair and was a bit quick was the sixth race, an allowance/optional claiming event ($32,000) at 1 1/16 miles. There were a few Canadian-bred three-year-olds racing against some older horses and they ran well.
PIPER’S FACTOR, a lean-looking bay colt by The Factor – Pipers Future by Niigon, scored a workmanlike victory by 2 3/4 lengths over favoured Fighter in the Win, a five-year-old, in 1:43.05 for an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. The King’s Plate hopeful is owned and was bred by Chiefswood Stable and the colt is trained by Katarina Vassilieva, who was winning her third race of the meeting.
Piper’s Factor is from the stakes-placed mare Pipers Future, a daughter of Plate winner Niigon. Pipers Future is a half-sister to Plate Trial winner Pipers Thunder.
Piper’s Factor is one of two winners for his dam from six named foals.
Piper’s Factor was second in the Coronation Futurity to Babbo last fall but had a shaky winter in Florida. He wore blinkers for a try on the dirt in February and was well beaten and he was fifth in a race for sophomores on Tapeta in March. Meanwhile, his mate ROSCAR (Oscar Performance), rallied well to be third in his season debut. Roscar, trained by Rachel Halden, won his second career race last fall, a seven furlong sprint, and he was gelded over the winter.
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