Wyatt’s Town has proven to be a profitable acquisition since being claimed this spring and the streaking three-year-old colt will look to continue his winning momentum in Sunday’s $100,000 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.
The claim-to-fame colt is riding a three-race win streak into the six-furlong sophomore stakes event where he will face a pair of familiar foes that he defeated in the King Corrie while making his Woodbine debut last time out on July 28 for trainer Norm McKnight.
Prior to his successful stakes outing, Wyatt’s Town won back-to-back races at Churchill Downs where he was claimed for $50,000 by Henley Thoroughbreds Ltd. and Newtop Stables. The Kentucky-bred son of Speightstown has finished no worse than third in his nine career starts.
King Corrie runner-up Hemp Hemp Hurray and third-place finisher Run Away will return for a rematch while supplemental U.S. entry Driven by History and one-time starter Captain Thunder will join the fray.
Graded stakes winner Run Away is the most accomplished contender having earned three of his four wins in added-money events last year and a total of $322,745 in purses. Owned by Kaleem Shah Inc., the Kentucky-bred colt by Run Away and Hide joined the Josie Carroll stable when he arrived in Canada prior to the King Corrie.
Trained by Michael Maker for owners Sarah and Kenneth Ramsey, Hemp Hemp Hurray competed overseas in Great Britain before his run in the King Corrie. A two-time stakes winner, the Artie Schiller colt previously raced at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes last year, finishing just a neck behind the winner.
Woodbine newcomer Driven by History ships in from Presque Isle Downs and will be looking for his first win since taking last year’s Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes at the Pennsylvania track. The Two Step Salsa gelding is trained by Teresa Connelly for owner Carl L. Hess Jr.
Woodbine’s meet-leading trainer Mark Casse will be represented by Captain Thunder, a Pioneerof the Nile colt who won his first career start on August 4 at Woodbine for owner John C. Oxley.
First race post time for Sunday’s 10-race card is 1 p.m. The afternoon’s ninth race will be the $100,000 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes. Here is a look at the complete field in post position order:
$100,000 Ontario Jockey Club Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer – Weight
1. Run Away – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2. Driven by History – Pablo Morales – Teresa Connelly
3. Wyatt’s Town – Eurico Rosa Da Silva – Norm McKnight
4. Captain Thunder – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse
5. Hemp Hemp Hurray – Rafael Hernandez – Michael Maker
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