Bet down to 3-to-5 close to post time, Ontario-bred WINTERBERRY (Frosted) came through for her fans with a strong win in the $143,000 Glorious Song Stakes for two-year-olds fillies at seven furlongs, one of two stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
The D.J. Stable-owned filly ridden by Sahin Civaci overcame a bad stumble at the break to track the speed battle, which included two-time stakes winner Souper Supreme, while wide in the six-horse field. She quickly moved up three wide into the turn and took off by some five lengths into the stretch before she began to get leg weary. Winterberry, trained by Mark Casse, held on to win by three-quarters of a length over her stablemate Charlotte’s Heart, who was making her first start since a debut win at Saratoga on the grass.
Winterberry’s time of 1:22.92 was faster than the Display Stakes (1:23.64) run a race earlier.
A $210,000 Keeneland September Yearling sale purchase from Ontario breeder David Anderson, Winterberry won her debut by 5 1/2 lengths in August before fading to sixth in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes on turf against colts in September.
Winterberry is the first foal to race for the mare Dreams Are Free by Bellamy Road. Dreams Are Free won two of 14 races and $76,747 and she is a half-sister to stakes-placed Off Limits.
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Jockey Civaci completed an eight-win week with the victory to continue to stretch his lead as Woodbine’s leading rider.
Meanwhile, Civaci’s 26 percent win rate is remarkable considering he has had over 430 mounts. Of all North American jockeys with 300 mounts or more in 2024, Civaci ranks third by win percentage behind Juan Diaz and Arnaldo Bochachica.
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Sunday’s race card began with a scary incident in race 2 when Kelly Callaghan’s Small Talk and jockey Slade Callaghan clipped heels in a 5 furlong turf dash and tumbled to the turf. Fortunately, both the horse and rider were deemed fine.
It has been a remarkable year, otherwise for the Callaghans, who have 10 training wins from 27 starters, a career-best for Kelly who won nine of 30 in 2013. Kelly’s win percentage of 36 puts her 7th in North America among trainers with at least 20 starters.
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SILENT MIRACLE appears to be the fastest winner of last week at Woodbine with a gaudy 95 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, from a $15,000 claiming/optional dash on Friday. The four-year-old by Silent Name (Jpn), bred and owned by RCC Racing Stable, won a pace battle and drew off by 5 1/4 lengths over the quick Tapeta, running 6 furlongs in 1:08.63. Silent Miracle has won five of 20 starts. His previous highest Beyer was the 87 he earned when second by a neck in his previous sprint. John Mattine trains.
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Friday’s races at Woodbine yielded head-scratching results and helped the track have a rare Pick 5 carryover to Saturday’s early Pick 5 (and then Saturday’s wild results led to another carryover for Sunday’s early Pick 5).
LEFT IN MY DUST, who had been left in the dust in six previous races, won a $7,500 maiden claiming race at 35-to-1 for trainer Devon Gittens and owner Bruno Schickedanz. The son of Mr. Scotty came from far off a hot pace over the very fast track. In the very next race, SNOOKERED sunk his rivals at 22-to-1 with a win in a $7,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles. Justin Stein rode for owner, trainer and breeder Kathy Ranford.
Race 3 on Friday was won by 23-to-1 shot GOOD SOLIDER, his second straight win since he was claimed by Andrew Smith. Keveh Nicholls rode this guy in this $7,500 claiming race and he was switching from grass to the Tapeta.
The 20 cent Pick 3 on races 2, 3 and 4 paid $4,900.
