NOTORIOUS GANGSTER (Classic Empire) upended the party on May 23 at Woodbine as he blew by King’s Plate winners PARAMOUNT PRINCE and MANSETTI on his way to a strong win in a 7 furlong allowance/optional claiming race worth $120,700.
The Gangster, one of 5 winners for trainer Josie Carroll last week, was the favourite in last year’s King’s Plate, finished third but then was not seen again until Saturday. A 4-year-old owned and bred by Mark Dodson, Notorious Gangster won the Queenston Stakes before his Plate journey and he had been working nicely for Carroll.
Meanwhile, this was the second meeting this year between 2025 Plate winner Mansetti and 2023 winner Paramount Prince with the latter leading all the way to win on May 2 in his season opener.
This time, things were a bit different as Mansetti took it to Prince early and then the pair were joined by Rapid Test. That pretty much cooked everyone and set the race up for jockey Rafael Hernandez on Notorious Gangster, who won in 1:23.54 for a huge 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
The track on Saturday was very deep and slow, as it rained the entire day and the Tapeta was certainly tough on some runners.
But Paramount Prince’s fourth-place finish did earn him enough money to go over the $1 million (US) mark in earnings, quite a feat for an Ontario sired gelding who cost barely over $20,000 as a yearling. Mike Langlois and Gary Barber own Paramount Prince, who is trained by Mark Casse. Mansetti finished sixth.
Carroll also won races with Dodson’s first time starter SO KATE, Chiefswood Stables’ SAUGEEN, Mike Cooke’s DON IQUE and Violet Rose Thoroughbred Partnership’s NOBORU on the weekend.
Saugeen, who has won two straight races, is a star on the rise for Chiefswood and a 4-year-old, large gelding by Mendolssohn. Second in that race was the farm’s 3-year-old MAGICAL FACTOR (The Factor), who made a bid at his older mate but had to settle for second in a good effort. Magical Factor remains the number 1 Plate contender on the Canadian Thoroughbred’s top 20.
Carroll could have any number of Plate hopefuls this year. She also won with the surprising colt Don Ique on Sunday, a Horseshoe Indianapolis invader for Mike Cooke, who prepares young horses for many of Canada’s top stables at his Dunnellon, Florida farm. Don Ique, by Astern (Aus), was coming off a maiden win on the grass with just a 37 Beyer. He won a 1 1/16 mile race on Sunday over heavily favoured Imyourmedicineman. Don Ique was bred by Jeffrey Yingling of Sangreal Investments.
Bill Tharrenos won three races on the weekend, Rachel Halden took 2 and trainer Audrey Cheung won her first race as her own gelding Alley Oop Johnny won a claiming race on Saturday. Cheung is one of the trainers who took over horses for Sovereign Award finalist Martin Drexler, who stepped away from racing this spring.
*Drexler trained the horses of TEC Stable of Elliott Logan and Michael Wright, Jr. was given some of the runners. In an interesting situation, TEC claimed two horses out of the same race on Sunday at Woodbine with Wright Jr. taking This Dude a Breeze for $25,000 and Drexler’s longtime assistant and also trainer Jim Ensom taking Hemlo Gold for the same price.
*If you thought some of the Woodbine races looked more like the roller derby you wouldn’t be far off. Half a dozen riders have been assigned suspensions in the last couple of weeks including David Moran, Jason Hoyte, Fraser Aebly, Daisuke Fukumoto, Pietro Moran and Rafael Hernandez.
Some have appealed and three riders will serve the same days, June 11 through 13.
One race that was very rough and yet did not lead to any disqualifications was the finale on Saturday when Bermuda Brew and Little Lola both stumbled, while other horses steadied and checked:
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