Toronto Ont.August 7, 2016.Woodbine Racetrack.Jockey Jesse Campbell guides Caren to victory in the $250,000 dollar Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack over the E.P.Taylor Turf Course.Caren is owned by Robert Marzilli and trained by Michael De Paulo. michael burns photo
Amidst confusion and the remnants of a scary accident early in the race, CAREN asserted herself as the top 3-year-old filly in Canada with a front running tour of the grass course in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes. That was the second jewel of the Triple Tiara for the daughter of Society’s Chairman – Jo Zak by Vilzak who led all the way to win the Bison City Stakes and was third in the Woodbine Oaks.
Owned by Robert Marzilli (his first horse) and trained by Mike DePaulo, this amazing bay with the white blaze and her jockey Jesse Campbell scampered clear of a equine bumper cars event out of the gate, appeared to set a a very slow pace (there were no pace fractions available during the race but these were posted later)
and then surged clear to win by 3 lengths, stopping the clock in 2:03.10 for ‘about’ 1 1/4 miles.
The inside portable rails were in Lane 2 for the start of the race and then moved out to Lane 4 into the backstretch so there was a a bit of a longer run-up from the start before the race was clocked. A schedule of where the lanes are for grass racing is done in April by Woodbine (Plate day, Lane 1, Breeders’ Stakes, Lane 1, etc.) and the Lanes are moved around to give life to parts of the turf course. Certainly this season, in which there as been little to no rain all summer, the important of moving the rails cannot be stressed enough.
At the start of Sunday’s, there was some bumping and crowding with inside horses and Wonderland clipped heels and stumbled badly, tossing Jim McAleney to the turf. McAleney was cut up on his face but essentially okay while Wonderland raced around the track loose and, according to trainer Mike Keogh, was “pretty banged up.”
Horses such as Gamble’s Ghost, who was in post 2, were a bit crooked coming out of the gate and she bumped with #1 Miss Metropolitan and eventually Wonderland took a tumble. Eliminated also from the race was Sonic Cyster from the 11 post.
While Gamble’s Ghost trailed the slow pace as the heavy favourite., Caren led Conquest Dynasty and those gals ran 1-2 all the way around. Sam-Son Farms’ SWOOP AND STRIKE was along for 3rd as she was not far off the pace and 100 t0 1 shot Zermatta was fourth for Riina Rekila and trainer Desmond Maynard.
The Beyer Figure was 82.
Neshama had a good trip and finished evenly to be fifth.The AGCO stewards will review the race with jockeys on Wednesday.
CAREN has won 7 of 12 races and $854,550. She was a $45,000 (US) purchase at the Fasig Tipton October sale 2 years ago and she was bred by James and Janeane Everatt and Arika-Everatt Meeuse.
MORE NOTES – There are full sisters to CONQUEST DYNASTY (Court Vision – Chick) and NESHAMA (Skigo Bay – Catch a Fire) in the Sept. 1 yearling sale at Woodbine.
