There were 26 races at Woodbine last week and 23 different trainers won during the final Friday to Sunday schedule of the meeting. Thursday evening racing is added this week with a 4:50 p.m. post time.
Other than MARK CASSE winning three races last week to stretch his lead in the standings, the other races were won by a variety of trainers including STEVE ATTARD, who saddled his 500th winner, Lantana Lady, on Saturday for owner Brian Cullen.
The winning horses last week were front-runners or closers and evenly split between winter-raced or -trained horses and those who stayed in Ontario.
STANLEY HOUSE, the handsome dark bay colt who was on the King’s Plate trail last year and did finish a solid third in the Plate, was well prepared for his four-year-old debut by trainer MIKE DEPAULO as he held on to win an optional/claiming allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on Friday in 1:43.41 for an 86 Beyer Speed Figure. Stanley House, by Army Mule, is owned by John and Diana Russell.
One of the biggest upsets of the week was the rallying win by 17-to-1 shot POSEIDON STEEL in a hot 5 1/2 furlong dash worth $110,700. Box Arrow Farm and Gord Colbourne’s grey horse, by Frac Daddy, was making his season debut as a non-winners of two lifetime in the race versus multiple winners Jazz Hands (recently fourth in the Thorncliffe Stakes) and Aim for the Sky.
While Jazz Hands rushed to get to the lead in 22.53 and 45.79, Poseidon Steel and jockey Ryan Munger broke a bit sluggishly and trailed. Jazz Hands went wide off the turn for home and carried out several rivals including Aim for the Sky, who grabbed the lead. But Poseidon Steel got into gear in the two path in the stretch and blew by everyone to win in 1:04.06 for a career-best 85 Beyer Figure.
Among the trainers grabbing their first wins of the meeting included CATHERINE DAY PHILLIPS who sent out Richard Howard’s BIJOU BABY (Point of Entry) to win on Sunday in a 7 1/2 furlong turf race, optional claiming; WILLIAM ARMATA, who won with CHAIRMAN BOB on Sunday in a $10,000 turf claiming race; ALLEN DESRUISSEAUX sent out Maureen Hewitt Topp’s HARPER CITY to grab his maiden win on Saturday and BARBARA MINSHALL won with NOT A LOST CAUSE, a long layoff returnee by Big Screen who won a maiden optional race on Saturday for Ballycroy Training Centre.
***
Woodbine announced that beginning with the 2025 racing season, horses 10 years old or older will not be permitted to race or stable (excluding ponies) at the Toronto track. The previous rule was a 10-year-old or older had to have finished in the top three in a race worth $7,500 claiming or higher in the previous year.
The new rule was welcomed with much praise as Woodbine continues to assert its focus on horse safety and welfare.
Likely, the rule came about in part due to the sudden death of MALIBU SECRET on May 5 following the fourth race. The 10-year-old, owned by Bruno Schickedanz and trained by Martin Drexler, was pulled out of the six-furlong race by the turn by Patrick Husbands who sensed the horse was in distress. Malibu Secret soon passed away on the track.
Bred by Sam-Son Farms and raced by that farm and trainer Malcolm Pierce from 2016 to 2019, Malibu Secret was graded stakes-placed. He was claimed by Schickedanz, 1559389 Ontario, Inc. and Drexler for $40,000 in September 2019, won two races and was graded stakes-placed numerous times. After earning over $220,000 for those interests, the gelding was claimed for $62,500 by Centennial Farms Niagara. He was later claimed back by Schickedanz for just $15,000 and found his way down to $5,000 claiming last December 8. He did not win that day.
The son of Malibu Moon – Ain’t No Tellin by Dynaformer won seven of 56 races and earned $388,141.
Malibu Secret. (Photo by Will Wong)
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
