Toronto, ON – Gustav Schickedanz’s homebred Woodsmoke led from gate to wire in Sunday’s $151,200 Fury Stakes at Woodbine.
The three-year-old daughter of Woodman is now 2-for-2 in her young career and may have stamped herself as a contender for the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, on June 7. Trained by Mike Keogh and ridden by Tyler Pizarro, Woodsmoke stayed on willingly through the stretch and defeated High Mist by 2 1/4 lengths. Mullins Beach was along late for third.
Woodsmoke set a Fury Stakes record for seven furlongs, completing the event in 1:22.67, which is 0.21 seconds faster than Gonetofarr’s time of
1:22.86 in 2002. Pizarro said the filly, who rallied from six lengths off of the pace to break her maiden, was well-prepared for her second start in 14 days. “(Mike Keogh) had this filly primed and ready,” said Pizarro. “She didn’t want to be around anybody. She wanted to go to lead.”
The filly reeled off fractions of :22.79 and :45.06. Pizarro said he tried as much as he could to get her to settle without discouraging her eagerness. “I took her off the rail and she dropped the bit a little bit, but she was still tugging on me. When we hit the three-eighths pole, she kind of dropped the bit to the quarter pole. As soon as I asked her, she kicked on again. She’s just getting better and better. Hopefully, we can go the two turns. I don’t think that will be a problem at all.”
Based on what he saw in the Fury, Keogh is less optimistic than his rider about the filly’s prospects going around two turns. “We’re trying to make the Oaks. If she runs like that, it’s going to be (a problem),” offered Keogh. “I’d like to see her relax a bit more than she did today. Since she broke her maiden, she’s trained very tough in the morning. We thought she might do this today.”
Keogh said he was forced to wheel Woodsmoke into the Fury on short rest to stay on schedule for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks. “I couldn’t get her to the races as a two-year-old. I have to do this to get there. That’s why she was running back so quick,” he explained.
Keogh said Woodsmoke’s next start could come in the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette on May 17.
Woodsmoke returned $28.70, $12 and $6.50, combining with High Mist ($5.60, $3.40) for a $198.20 exactor. Mullins Beach ($4.10) rounded out a triactor worth $763.40. Not Just a Rumor completed a $1 superfecta worth $1,062.50.
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