Five years after she went through the Keeneland November Breeding sale in Kentucky and was purchased by Keith Johns to race in Canada, HAZELBROOK is scheduled to head back to the sales ring next week. But first the Bayern mare, Canada’s Champion Female Sprinter of 2022, wanted to make sure she went out on a big note and Sunday, she certainly did that.
Meeting a strong group of older males in an allowance/optional claiming event, Hazelbrook and her regular rider Jason Hoyte powered down the track in the stretch to win by a head at 13-to-1 in 1:09.72 for 6 furlongs.
The five-year-old, a three-time stakes winner last season, two of them graded stakes, had been on the edges in four previous races this season but was a good fourth in the Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) on Oct. 14. Trainer Lorne Richards made a shrewd move and entered the mare back 15 days later in the $80,000 optional claiming race but when she missed the break, it appeared she lost all chance.
Instead, Hoyte guided the mare to the rail, saved ground, and then allowed her to glide out to the four path into the stretch where she was up to edge speedy Jazz Hands and Flag of Honour, a new face from Australia. It was the eighth career win from 16 races for Hazelbrook who has earned over $425,000. Johns, who races under True North Stable, bought the mare for $50,000 as a weanling.
Hazelbrook is entered in the Keeneland November sale and is Hip 20 at the opening session, November 8.
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LOOSE WIRE (Street Sense – Dance With Doves by A.P. Indy) was quite an impressive debut winner at Woodbine on Oct. 29 in a 1 1/8 mile Tapeta maiden special weight for owner Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. Trained by Kevin Attard, the $925,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton October in 2021 earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure for an easy win in 1:52.46.
Patience paid off with this colt, who was bred by Sam-Son Farms and is the eighth foal of Dance With Doves, who has produced four winners including stakes winner Dance Again. Dance With Doves is a daughter of Queen’s Plate winner Dancethruthedawn, a daughter of the great Dance Smartly.
Loose Wire had a number of workouts as an unnamed colt last summer at Saratoga with trainer Todd Pletcher but his moves were modest and ultimately he arrived at Woodbine this summer, seemingly taking to the Tapeta surface.
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Jockeys KAZUSHI KIMURA and SAHIN CIVACI won 17 races during the four-day week at Woodbine and seven of Sunday’s 10-race card.
Kimura won 10 races last week and leads the standings at 126 wins to Civaci’s 101 wins, easily his career best. Civaci, who has ridden 200 fewer horses than Kimura, leads all top riders at Woodbine by win percentage at 24.
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