Woodbine Thursday: Ontario Sire Reload Sizzles With First Crop

As the Ontario yearling sale, the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, approaches Sept. 2 and videos of youngsters are beginning to pop up on the CTHS Ontario YouTube channel the young Ontario stallion RELOAD has been making noise with his first crop of runners.

ROCKET RELOAD sizzled in a maiden race at 5 furlongs on the inner turf on Thursday at Woodbine to give Reload his 4th winner and they have won on three different surfaces. Last week Shotthrutheheart won his maiden on the dirt at Century Mile.

Rocket Reload is owned by Denny Andrews and Sandra Lazaruk and she was bred in Kentucky by Andrews and her trainer is Mike Depaulo. She won by 3 lengths in 56.95 over the Old Forester filly Nero Davola, who was second for the second consecutive race. Justin Stein rode the winner.

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Race 2 – FLAT OUT FABULOUS won her maiden for Greg and Julia Samulak, their first winner of 2020 and 6th starter. This Flat Out mare won the 5 1/2 furlong dash under Steve Bahen after a race-long battle with the Big Screen filly Don’t Smile Lilah. The winner was bred by Richard Lister.

Owner and breeder Yvonne Schwabe celebrated a win by her filly YASINIA, by Giant Gizmo – Zilberra by El Corredor in a maiden $25,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles in race 3. This was only the 3rd career race for the chestnut 3-year-old who was second in her latest on turf. Another win for Justin Stein and the 19th of the meeting for trainer Kevin Attard.

Robert Tiller is the owner and trainer of the Signature Red gelding BEN LOMOND who finally got lucky and won a $15,000 optional claiming race at 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf. The Colebrook Farms-bred fellow has had some troubled trips this year and this was his 5th outing of 2020 and his 5th career win, but first win for Tiller. He threaded the needle in the stretch run to win this race as Emma-Jayne Wilson had to change plans on the turn, going inside instead of going wide.

BIG BIG PLANS, a 2-year-old Ontario-bred first-time starter, had a big, big win in race 5 for $25,000 claiming maidens. A filly by Point of Entry from Morilles (GB) by Monteju, this gal was a $17,000 purchase at Keeneland September last year from breeder Sean Fitzhenry by Martha and Nick Gonzalez. The filly won by 6 lengths in 1:05.83 under Larry Munoz over Mike Ambler’s beginner Well You Startedit, also trained by Nick Gonzalez.

(There is a yearling half-sister to Well You StartedIt in the Sept. 2 Canadian Premier Yearling sale, from the Sue Foreman, agent consignment and the yearling is by Strong Mandate).

Race 6 – JMJ Stable of Dennis Narlinger, based in the US, often has Canadian-bred runners and they are usually trained locally by Sid Attard. A few years ago it was Interpol, a turf stakes winner and this year, the stable has Queen’s Plate hopeful and recent maiden winner OLLIEMYBOY and unleashed the 4-year-old MIND THE GAP on Thursday. A Street Sense – Safe Haven by A.P. Indy gelding bred by Christine Hayden, Mind the Gap, a turf maiden winner at Delaware last year, won an allowance race at 10 furlongs by 5 lengths under Patrick Husbands who stayed inside while many in the field went very wide on the last turn.

Race 7 – Trainer MIKE MATTINE had 13 seconds and thirds coming into the Thursday card and he finally got his first win as his lovely trainee STORMFUHR won this $101,000 allowance race at 7 furlongs in his fourth race of the year. The Langfuhr 5-year-old is owned by Stacey Van Camp and is out of Storm on the Run by Officer, bred by Don Myers, and he won by 1/2 a length in 1:22.25 for his 3rd win in 24 career races.

Race 8 – Scary moments for the filly MISS EVANGELINE and jockey David Moran as they tumbled to the turf late on the turn after appearing to slip or catch the legs of another rival. Both horse and rider were okay after the incident. The inner turf maiden race went to SWEET SHADES, a CTHS Ontario yearling sale purchase by Sligo Bay (Ire) – Siddona by Whiskey Wisdom who is owned by Jon-Paul Powers and Tony Gattellaro who also trainers.

Third win for Justin Stein who is 2nd in the leading rider standings and will try and close the gap as leader Rafael Hernandez is sitting out a few days this week. There is a half sibling to Sweet Shades offered in the upcoming Canadian Premier Sale.