RIGHT WHERE THEY LEFT OFF
SHAKOPEE TOWN gallops to victory in her Woodbine and Tapeta surface debut in the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes; photo by Sovereign Award nominated JOHN WATKINS
Owners Al and Bill Ulwelling of Minnesota and trainer Kevin Attard didn’t take long to follow up on their stakes win at the end of the 2018. The Minnesota family,, who have increased their involved in Ontario racing, kept the streak alive after Pumpkin Rumble won the Valedictory Stakes as SHAKOPEE TOWN powered to an impressive win in the Whimsical Stakes (G3) on opening day.
Bred by the Ulwellings, the 4-year-old filly by former Canadian sire Jersey Town – Shakopee by Evansville Slew tracked the speed of Tarawa and Alinah through opening fractions of :22.22 and :45.35 with Shakopee Town gaining ground inside to challenge at the top of the stretch. She then rallied 3-1/4 lengths clear to take the lion’s share of the $125,000 purse and complete six furlongs in 1:09.55 under jockey Alan Garcia. Sly Beauty and Zestina finished second and third, respectively. Alnilah, Magic Spell and Tarawa completed the order of finish.
Previously trained by Gary Scherer, Shakopee Town earned her fifth career win from 11 starts.
“Gary sure did a wonderful job with her. He’s managed her great. She came to me looking fabulous,” said Attard of the Ulwelling’s homebred filly. “They were looking for some black type. They breed and they own this family so this was obviously a good opportunity and we passed with flying colours.
Attard has ranked among the top three trainers at the Toronto oval for the past four years, with his stable amassing a career-best local win tally of 55 last year including six stakes at Woodbine.
“We’ve got some nice horses I think,” he said of his stable’s 2019 prospects. “We’ve got a lot of younger horses so hopefully they’ll get to the races and show some potential and develop into good horses later on. We might be a little slow to start, but usually we get rolling towards the end action-wise. We’re hoping for a big year.”
OPENING DAY BETTING BONANZA
On a typical early spring afternoon in southern Ontario, plenty of rain fell and fog rolled in for the first of 133 racing dates at Woodbine but fans showed up with plenty of enthusiasm. Wagering on the 10 race card was $4.084 million up from $3.2 million on opening day last year.
A variety of big and small stables won the races over a quick Tapeta surface with doubles posted by trainer Kevin Buttigieg and jockey Luis Contreras.
The surface (and short distances) favoured speed.
RACE 1 – The season opened with the impressive maiden win by BROOKIES BEAR owned by John Brnjas’ Colebrook Farms, Bear Stable and Mickey Demers. The 3-year-old dark bay by Old Forester – Peggys’anexecutive by Bold Executive was one of the most expensive yearlings sold in Canada in 2017 at $75,000.
She had two starts at 2 and came out with blinkers on and Contreras up and blew to a 7 length win in 57.73 for 5 furlongs. Ashlee Brnjas trains and assistant trainer Patrick Dixon was winning his first race since joining Colebrook this year.
RACE 2 – STATION ROCK snuck up the rail late on the turn to win his maiden for $14,000 claiming for Dominic Delillo’s Centennial Farm (Niagara) under apprentice Daisuke Fukumoto. The 4-year-old had raced in Florida and moved to the barn of trainer Ravendra Raghunath, now with 57 career wins as a conditioner. The winner is a Florida bred by Biondetti.
RACE 3- UNDERCOVER CAT is no secret these days. The Ontario bred by Where’s the Ring – Runaway Cat by Forest Wildcat brought a 5 race winning streak into this allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs for owners Cory Hoffman and Stephen Chesney, all dirt wins at Mahoning Valley. The 7-year-old was win shy type in previous years but he now has 6 straight wins, 10 career wins in 45 starts. He was bred by El Batey Farm and Kevin Buttigieg, a 35% win trainer, saddled the Cat.
Jesse Campbell rode the winner.
Side note, as an Ontario sired and bred winner, Undercover Cat won a staggering $52,000 for winning this $67,500 allowance race even those his recent wins were for $16,000 claiming.
RACE 4 – More KEVIN BUTTIGIEG as he sent out ADELLE’S PRINCESS to a longshot win in her season debut for himself, Dean Sprinter and Peter Naime. This Overdriven filly, bred in Florida, won her maiden in August and had trained at Mahoning Vslley since late March. Krista Carignan rode this gal to victory in this $40,000 claiming/optional dash that was trouble filled.
Adelles Princess stumbled at the start but battled H is Just a number and then edged clear. Never Sober checked on the turn and caused Far falla to check and both fillies lost all chance.
Winning Smile: John Watkins captured this lovely moment as Krista Carignan comes back to the winner’s circle aboard Adelles Princess
RACE 5 – Trainer SHANA LOPEZ won her 8th career race in her young training career by sending out first time starter LADIES SIGNATURE to win a maiden $25,000 claiming race. The beginner, owned by Elvis Waithe and bred by Bob Watson, had a troubled trip as she broke last in the 5 furlong dash, was steadied early in the race when on heels.
Once settled she chased a 3 horse pace battle before splitting fillies under Ademar Santos to win. The filly is by Signature Red, a noted high percentage debut sire.
Mislight suffered an injury in the stretch run and had a cast applied before being vanned off.
RACE 6- Perennial Sovereign Award winning trainer MARK CASSE relocated LADY GRACE to Woodbine and the $300,000 Kantharos filly got her maiden win after a trio of 2nds in Florida as the favourite. Gary Boulanger rode Tracy Farmer’s filly wo the win.
RACE 7 – LOOOCH RACING’s DON’T BE SO SALTY, winner of the Display Stakes at Woodbine in 2015, was predictable winner of race 7 at 8 to 5 for trainer Abbey Larimer. The classy 6-year-old was 5 for 7 last year and is 7 for 12 on the synthetic. He won this starter/optional with a $40,000 claiming price in 1:22.63 It was the 10th win in 26 starts for the son of Tiz Wonmderful who was ridden by Luis Contreras.
RACE 9 – CIRCLE OF FRIENDS was very strong on the pace in this allowance/optional, essentially a race for non-winners last year. This Midnight Lute 5-year-old, owned by 3 Sons Racing zoomed through fast fractions and won the fastest short dash of the day in 56.98, just half a second off the track record. Trained by Robert Tiller, the gelding was ridden to this 5th career win by Eurico da Silva. ericka Rusnak bred the stakes winner.
RACE 10 – ROSS ARMATA JR. had NEVAEH’S DREAM well prepared to win this allowance/optional race (he did not race for the the $40K tag). The Giant Gizno – Be My Valentine by Jackonsport 4yo was ridden by Steve Bahen for Lucky DiLuciano Stable. Anthony Luciano bred the gelding who is 2 for 8 in his career. Being Ontario sired/bred, Nevaeh’s Dream picked up more than $30,000.
