It was fitting that slight underdog MASON’S GAMBLE, the only horse in the ATA Racing Stable, took the lone stakes race at Woodbine this past weekend. Mason’s Gamble, a lightly-raced colt by Ontario stallion Gamble’s Exchange, won the Ontario Jockey Club Stakes worth $100,800 on June 19, putting an exclamation mark on a week where 25 different trainers won the 35 races.
Mason’s Gamble, bred by Ivan Dalos, is owned by Angelo LaMantia, Anthony DiPierdomenico and Anthony’s son Mason, friends of Dalos’ daughter Colleen. Trained by Josie Carroll, the sleek dark bay colt won four races in his first year of racing in 2021. The OJC Stakes was the colt’s second start of the season following a sixth-place finish in his season debut.
It was an early scramble for the lead as four horses left the gate running, with longshot Sunspear eventually emerging on top, as Mason’s Gamble, under Rafael Hernandez, who was subbing for Patrick Husbands, was positioned a close third through an opening quarter in :22.62.
Sunspear, at 59-1, continued to set the tone through a half timed in :45.29, as Mason’s Gamble, now second, and Souper Success, a head back in third, kept up the pressure on the pacesetter.
As the 10-horse field made the turn for home, Hernandez called on the bay colt, and the Josie Carroll trainee responded, looming as a major threat as the field straightened for the stretch drive.
A head back of Sunspear at the stretch call, Mason’s Gamble held off a late-charging Candy Overload to record a half-length win. Secret Reserve was third and Red River Rebel was fourth.
The final time for six furlongs over the Tapeta in the race Ontario-sired four-year-olds and upwards was 1:09.51. There was a short delay before the victory was made official, the result of a claim of foul by the rider of Eskiminzin.
“He was awfully sharp off the winter off,” explained Carroll, of the colt’s effort prior to the Ontario Jockey Club. “He came into the paddock and was much edgier than usual. I think he was just too sharp and pushed too hard on himself early, and just folded up a little late. When I saw the fractions he was getting [today], those are the fractions he likes to run. I thought we’d be really tough where we were sitting, and I had a lot of confidence in Rafael pushing him home.”
Carroll was pleased to see the horse net his first stakes win, and his connections celebrate the milestone moment.
“These guys are having so much fun. They’re actually friends with the Dalos family, who bred this horse. There is a lot of camaraderie between them and the breeder, so it just makes it a whole lot of fun.”
Mason’s Gamble returned $12.60, $7.10 and $5.10 and combined with Candy Overload ($10.10 $5.40) for a $118.50 exactor. Secret Reserve ($3.50) completed a triactor worth $552.30. A $1 superfecta (Red River Rebel) came back $975.35.
More Woodbine Wrap
Epilogue, a seven-year-old son of Smooth Bid-Gold Else, became the first horse to win three races at the 2022 Woodbine meet. Racing off the claim by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Robert Tiller, the Ontario-bred gelding, under Skye Chernetz, paid $10.40 for the win. Epilogue won his first 2 races of the season for trainer Richard Mordan.
Holding the MARK CASSE barn to just one win last week is quite a feat by fellow trainers. Conditioners who won more than one race during the week included PHIL HALL, who won with two first-time starters, A Maise Zing Dotie and Ben’s Sunny Island, owned by Robert Simonick.
MARTIN DREXLER and his team won three races, DALE DESRUISSEAUX won a pair as did STEPHEN CHIRCOP, GAIL COX, MIKE DEPAULO and JULIA CAREY.
The Tapeta surface was not fast during the week but the inner turf course was very quick. Claiming horse SILENT FLASH was reported to have set a course record for five furlongs on June 18 of 55.40, The gelding was owned by Scott Abbott and trained by Mike Doyle, but claimed by Drexler.
Two first-time starters who wowed with speedy wins were STORMY SILENCE and SPEEDY RIVER. Stormy Silence earned a whopping $73,000 for winning her career debut at five furlongs on the turf for Shelly Fitzgerald and Martin Wickens, both of whom own and bred the Silent Name filly. The owners had to wait four years for the filly to debut but she won big in 56.25 at 25-to-1 odds. The filly is the first foal to race of the good Fitzgerald mare Endless Approval, a daughter of With Approval.
SPEEDY RIVER was in front of her rivals in a blink when she debut last weekend for trainer Mike DePaulo and the aptly named gal sailed to her debut win. The Souper Speedy 2-year-old is the third foal of the unraced mare River’s Way Only. The other two siblings included recent maiden winner Tapiture Way.
JULIA CAREY‘s two-win last week brought her record in 2022 to 7 for 20, just two months in, and that 35% win average leads all local trainers (minimum 10 starters). Carey’s Sunday winner GIANT TEDDY is a 3-year-old by Giant Gizmo, who was impressive taking the 1 1/16 mile optional race by more than 5 lengths. Owned by Discovery Racing, Goldie Stable and Tom McCrocklin, Giant Teddy was bred by Susan Rasmussen and H. Lothian. McCrocklin purchased the colt for $11,496 at the 2020 CTHS yearling sale at Woodbine.
Giant Teddy is currently not eligible to the Queen’s Plate.
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