Woodbine Wrap: Artie's Storm Upsets Eclipse for Paul Buttigieg and Team

The fast workout times were there for all to see, but still ARTIE’S STORM, an Ontario-sired and bred 4-year-old, went off at 7-to-1 in the Grade 2 Stella Artois Eclipse Stakes on May 29 at Woodbine.

Of course, it was the first race of the season for Artie’s Storm who did well against Ontario-sired runners in 2021 and was graded stakes placed once in a solid sophomore campaign for Paul Buttigieg’s Buttigieg Training Centre.

Plus he was meeting 2-time Horse of the year MIGHTY HEART and the 2021 Champion 3-year-old FROSTED OVER in the 1 1/16 mile race.

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But Buttigieg and his team had Artie well prepared to handle what was a decidedly slow, tiring, and anti-speed Tapeta surface (both Saturday and Sunday).

What helped the son of the late WE MISS ARTIE (Artie Schiller) was when jockey Patrick Husbands sent Mighty Heart hard from the gate and then essentially was locked in a battle with Frosted Over to the far turn. By then, both fellows were tired and Artie’s Storm edged on by. Artie’s Storm and jockey David Moran won by a length over Frosted Over with Mighty Heart another two lengths back in third. The time was 1:43.20.

This was the third graded stakes winning horse for the elusive Buttigieg, who trains at Woodbine and his farm in Egbert, ON but is never seen at Woodbine in the afternoons for racing. Buttigieg began training in the mid 1970s and his other top horses included millionaire Phil’s Dream and graded stakes winner Strait From Texas.

Artie’s Storm is from the last Ontario crop of We Miss Artie, who left Canada to stand at Ramsey Farm in 2018 and then landed in New Mexico last year. He died of colic last fall.

Artie’s Storm’s dam TIZ STORMY NOW was a $215,000 yearling purchase in 2008 by Harlequin Ranches. The filly was placed once and then purchased for $10,000 by Buttigieg in foal to Old Forester. That foal, Ghost Forest, was a minor winner. Tiz Stormy Now has had a total of five winners from six named foals.

Weekend Winners

LEONARD GREEN’S D.J. STABLE LLC has a large American stable but has really boosted its Canadian action in the last year. Green has been buying Ontario-breds at sales and two 2021 purchases won big on the weekend.

NINETYFOUR EXPOS, widely touted before his career debut on May 1 but third to the filly Botta Swing, romped on May 29 in a five furlong maiden allowance. Trained by Mark Casse, Ninetyfour Expos is a son of Outwork (Uncle Mo) from the mare Simply Good, by Sky Classic. This long-striding colt was an $80,000 Fasig-Tipton July 2021 yearling purchase and he was bred by Robert Marzilli.

As a note to that win by Ninetyfour Expos, the first-time starter Velocitor, starting from post one, had a dreadful journey and was second for Al and Bill Ulwelling.

On Saturday, D J Stables’ Ontario-bred first time starter ME AND MY SHADOW won a 5 furlong maiden allowance under Emma-Jayne Wilson. The filly is by Violence from Silhouette by Smart Strike.

For the most part, it was tough for a horse to lead all the way on the Tapeta last week. The track tended to be slow, in particular on the weekend, and many horses were coming back tired.

Some horses who have already won on the surface this year are coming right back and winning again – KAWACATOOSE for Robert Boreland and Cyle Larin and FULL EXTREME for Derek Chin and Kevin Attard are examples.

First horse, first win

David and Ann Muscat and their two children bought into their first racehorse in January 2021 when trainer Renee Kierans approached them at The Motts Equestrian Centre in Guelph where the Muscats do some recreational riding. The family bought into Lobby Bar, a chestnut gelding purchased as a yearling by Kierans and Ben Wallace for $20,000 in 2020. The son of Society’s Chairman – Purely Elegant was given a lot of time to grow and mature and it was worth the wait. Under Emma- Jayne Wilson, Lobby Bar stalked and rallied for a five-length win in his career debut on Saturday.

Trainer JOSIE CARROLL sent out LOYALTY (Hard Spun – Slew’s Quality) to win again. The Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods filly had won her debut with an 83 Beyer Figure and she came back Saturday with another big win (at six furlongs) with an 84 Beyer Figure.

Trainer MIKE DUNSLOW, who saddled his first five horses in 2019, has a number of horses for owner Bruno Schickedanz this year and won two races last week. THE GREEN PLANET, a homebred and first time starter by Old Forester, won her debut for $10,000 claiming on Sunday while CRUMLIN TIME won a claiming race last week. Dunslow has Coronation Futurity winner (2017) AHEADBYACENTURY in training for Schizkedanz. The gelding landed in low claiming races last year.

Other impressive winners on the weekend included second time starter IT’S GAME KNIGHT, an Ontario-bred Violence colt owned by Dan and Daniel Mooney and Tara Boyle. Trained by John Ross, It’s Game Knight was unsold at auction as a weanling and yearling for $12,000 and $19,000 respectively.

There have been a number of horses winning big while going off at odds much lower than their morning line quote but one that was quite the head scratcher was CINNAMONJAWBREAKER, who won on May 26 at 5-to-2 in a maiden $15,000 claiming race. He was 20-to-1 in the morning line. The New York-bred trained by Phil Hall had been well beaten in two races at Finger Lakes in 2021 for trainer Rebecca Babcock and then beaten 100 1/4 lengths (yes, 100) at Tampa Bay Downs for $16,000 claiming on Feb. 4 for trainer Tom Foley.

Last Thursday off the layoff he wore down the speed to win with Keveh Nicholls riding.