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WOODBINE WRAPS
Wednesday night is Contreras night
The Tapeta is responding to the pampering it is getting and it continues to be a fair surface with times returning to normal clockings.
Race 1- Classy 8-year-old RUN TO THE BANK picked up his 11th career win for Nick Nosowenko with a last-to-move rally from well back in this 1 1/16 mile $32,000 claiming race. The son of Wando was the first of 4 winners for jockey Luis Contreras. The Beyer Figure of 82 for 1:45.20 was the top Beyer Figure of the night.
Race 2- on the grass at 10 furlongs and 6-year-old SUPREME COMMANDER finally won his maiden in his 18th career start. The son of Street Cry out of champion mare Perfect Sting was making his 3rd start of the season and 9th attempt on the grass. Eurico da Silva rides for Sid Attard and Stronach Stables.
Race 3- Congratulations to JENNIFER SHAFER who saddled her first Woodbine winner when SAN NICOLA STORM rallied between and then around fillies to win a $25,000 maiden claiming race. It was the first race in one year for the 4yo Giant Gizmo filly who is owned and was bred by Joe Pirone.
It was also the 50th career winner saddled by Shafer, who came to Woodbine this spring with a small group of horses for a longtime client and also got a few horses for Pirone. She has been a successful trainer in Alberta and decided to try the big W this year.
Contreras rode this filly to victory.
Race 4- A 5 furlong dash for maiden claiming, $10,000, and UNSEEN ANGELS was unseen by her rivals as she scampered clear to win big on the drop from $30,00 claiming. The Kanthoaros chestnut was odds-on for her debut outing on May 21 and finished 5th but got away with the win this time as 2nd choice PRINCESS SALIMAH had a tough trip and wound up 3rd.
Race 5- a maiden allowance and yep, Contreras again, Nosowenko again, as STRING BIKINI finally got it done after 2 straight losses as the favourite; The blinkers coming off may have helped this Where’s the Ring filly break through at 1 1/8 miles. She was bred by Liz Pathak and is co-owned by Nosowenko’s father Mike.
race 6- OLD VALYRIA is now a 2- time winner this season for Lou Tucci and trainer Jamie Attard. This Old Forester speedster grabbed a clear lead in this first allowance class against open horses and held on to win by a neck over Blurricane. Old Valyria ran an 81 Beyer Figure for 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.51. Eurcio da Sulva rode.
Race 7 – GOLDEN RIDGE, who ran in the Queen’s Plate 4 years ago and finished 10th, won for the first time in 3 years in this $10,000 claiming race. The 7-year-old, owned by Alpine Stables and trained by Francesca Armata, was claimed from breeder Eugene Melnyk in 2013 and has been racing sparingly since thnn. Still an entire horse, the Alpina and Armata team have been patient and persevered and were rewarded last night. The winning Beyer was 74 for the Distorted Humor fellow out of Grade 1 winner Indian vale.
Race 8 – WARBRED won as the favourite giving trainer Greg Cox his first win of the year. The chestnut 6yo tracked the speed outside in the 3 path and rallied to the lead in early stretch, winning this $10,000 claiming race under Eurico da Silva. It was 3rd career win from 33 starts for the son of War Cry whp is owned by Lisa McCallum Smith.
More Woodbine winners
Time to get caught up with some of the racing dates leading up to card no. 29 on Wednesday night:
Sunday –
MAJESTIC FEVER came from well back to win a 1 1/16 mile maiden allowance, race 1 on Sundya. The Kentucky bred 3yo by Majestic Warrior had sprinted twice to begin his career and was 2nd and 4th. He looked as if he was having trouble getting going in this race when last on the final turn but he moved up on the rail, then angled out to the 3 path and wore down the leader, Nevaeh’s Valentine. Patrick Husbands rode for trainer Mark Casse.
race 2- MARTEN RIVER, a $3,500 yearling purchase last year by David Bell and Val Topp, skipped away from the field to win his debut very impressively under Jesse Campbell. This dark bay gelding is by Silent Name (JPN) and he defeated 5 offspring of the sire Court Vision in the 4 1/2 furlong dash over Tapeta. He is from the winning mare Money Shaker, by Tumblebrutus and from the Terra Racing family of Marina Bella, the 2nd dam. The time of 52.43 was good for a 64 Beyer Figure.
race 3 – Zayat Stables’ have sent horses to reade Baker to train at Woodbine again this year and GIANT STORM won his synthetic debut in this $20,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles. The son of Lemon Drop Kid won his maiden on the grass at Gulfstream for trainer Bill Mott in his last start, his 4th career outing. Luis Contreras rode this gelding to win with a wide rally and a gritty finish to edge Stronach Stables’ Gray Phantom.
race 4- SCHOMBERG is a pretty dark bay colt by Langfuhr – Half Sister by More Than Ready, closely related to the great Wando. It was his 10th career start on Sunday and the colt finally got his maiden win after opening up a huge lead in the 6 1/2 furlong turf dash. He held off a closing Conquest Too Smart to win by a nose in 1:16.53, good for an 81 Beyer Figure. Sheena Ryan rode for trainer Reade Baker who also co-owns with Rick Mah and Roger Fortier.
Race 5- back on the Tapeta and speedy AZIMUT led all the way to win this allowance race for Ontario sired 3-year-olds and up at 6 furlongs. He is a Colebrook Farms gelding by Bold ‘n Flashy and he was bred by Jennifer Edwards’ Bonny Breeze Acres. Jesse Campbell rode.
race 6- Be happy, MR GRUMPY won for the 2nd straight time for owner Daryl Hasmatali and Hong Hynh. The dark bay Sligo Bay gelding was bred by Hasmatali and he he won his maiden at Fort Erie last year for $5,000 claiming. The gelding started to improve his form, and Beyer Figures from the 40s to the high 60s in the fall on turf and Polytrack. He started this year at the allowance class and was 2nd before winning an Ontario sired allowance on turf. This win was against open company and he had a shrewd ride by Emma-Jayne Wilson along the rail into the stretch. The time was a sharp 1:41.48.
race 7 – allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta and trainer Reade Baker got his 3rd winner of the day when NASHVILLE KNIGHT led all the way and held on to win for his 2nd score of the season. This is a really keen gelding by Bold Executive who charged to the lead and was not given any nreather, he just kept powering along through 1:09.79 and the final time of 1:16.29 was good for a 91 Beyer Figure. Jim McAleney rode for owners Pat and Dan Mooney. The gelding is 4 for 9 and since this was an open race, the purse was 85,102 and Nashville Knight earned 52,740.
race 10 – an $8,000 claiming race at 7 furlongs was won by John and Breeda Hayes’MACHO WHISKEY, was went to a new home after the wide, rallying win. The 7-year-old by Macho Uno was ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson and it was the geldings 5th career win.
Wagering was a whopping $4.3 million making for a two-day weekend total of $8.4 betting at Woodbine.
LEADING WOODBINE JOCKEYS (through June 5)
*(Luis Contreras won 4 races on Wed. night to get closer to Da Silva)
Eurico Rosa Da Silva 180 44 33 27 $1,603,293
Luis Contreras 191 37 36 35 $1,378,360
Alan Garcia 120 24 16 14 $770,252
Jesse M. Campbell 163 19 19 20 $805,954
Patrick Husbands 127 18 23 18 $1,027,404
LEADING WOODBINE TRAINERS (through June 5)
Mark E. Casse 89 14 20 14 $951,088
Nicholas Gonzalez 70 10 6 13 $361,803
Michael P. De Paulo 64 9 13 7 $582,689
Reade Baker 55 9 7 5 $409,617
Norman McKnight 23 9 4 3 $143,729
LEADING WOODBINE OWNERS (through June 5)
Conquest Stables, LLC 27 5 6 5 $269,017
Gary Barber 15 1 6 2 $225,400
Bear Stables, Ltd. 23 4 2 2 $215,776
Sam-Son Farm 17 3 5 4 $200,662
Benjamin Hutzel 5 2 1 0 $192,243
