GOOD

THEY’RE AT THE POST!

Woodbine’s 64th racing season gets underway Saturday, post time 1 p.m., with a card of 10 races including the Grade 3 WHIMSICAL STAKES at 6 furlongs for fillies and mares. The race is sponsored by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

Favouristim will likely land on last year’s STAR SHOOT STAKES winner SLY BEAUTY with the potent combo of trainer Mark Casse and last year’s record-setting jockey EURICO DA SILVA on board. Sly Beauty had a troubled but solid return to racing off a long layoff at Gulfstream recently.

Newcomer SHAKOPEE TOWN will take betting support in the small field off a blazing Tapeta workout for trainer Kevin Attard and stakes winner ZESTINA, for Stronach Stables, has been prepped in the Florida by trainer Sid Attard.

Opening day features Woodbine’s leading rider Eurico da Silva and trainer, Norm McKnight but there is a variety of trainers and riders on the card as some of the bigger stables have not moved all of its horses into Woodbine just yet.

Rafael Hernandez, who kept busy in the US during the winter, is back riding Sunday following a one-day suspension while Patrick Husbands, who has been getting on horses in Barbados and at Woodbine following a bad accident last season, is expected to be in action soon.

Justin Stein has returned to riding after retiring and apprentices Kazushi Kimura and Datsuke Fukumoto figure to get a lot of action. Luis Contreras and Emma-Jayne Wilson are also among the leading riders who are rarin’ to go.

The new turf course, which used to be a turf course until it was a Standardbred track for 25 years, is set to debut later this spring.

Woodbine continues to impress with its experiences and events and the patio scene at the track this year should be hopping. The Kentucky derby Day Party on May 4 is a popular event that will be followed by the Greenwood Stakes on May 25. Boasting some of the best food you can get anywhere in the province, Woodbine’s racing product is very popular throughout the world, in particular Australia and the US.

The track continues to work on attracting new fans to attend the races and a recent purse increase can help promote the excitement of horse ownership (see more on new syndicates available below).

Saturday, Woodbine, post time: 4:51 p.m. EDT
WHIMSICAL S. PRESENTED BY IRISH THOROUGHBRED MARKETING-GIII, C$125,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY WT

1 Alnilah Smart Strike Canvasback Farms O’Callaghan Johnson 117
2 Zestina Silent Name (Jpn) Stronach Stables Attard Boulanger 121
3 Tarawa Field Commission Edward A. Seltzer Nixon Campbell 117
4 Sly Beauty Into Mischief Debby M. Oxley Casse Da Silva 119
5 Shakopee Town Jersey Town Ulwelling, Al and Bill Attard Garcia 117
6 Magic Spell K Majesticperfection Menary, John and Cox, Gail Cox Wilson 117

SOVEREIGN AWARDS NIGHT TONIGHT

A great way to usher in the new racing season at WOODBINE  is celebrating the Champions of 2018. That will occur this evening at Chateau le Jardin just north of Woodbine at the SOVEREIGN AWARDS, hosted by the Jockey Club of Canada.

The 2018 top horses and riders will be honoured plus special awards for Groom, Handicapper, Media and the E.P. Taylor Award which will be presented to Gus Schickedanz and the late Bill Graham.

WONDER GADOT is the odds-on favourite to be named HORSE OF THE YEAR and Champion 3-year-old filly based on her wins in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes. The Anderson Farms-bred Medaglia D’Oro filly, currently still racing for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse is from the mare Loving Vindication, who is up for Outstanding Broodmare.

Western Canada will be well represented as the amazing Manitoba-bred mare ESCAPE CLAUSE figures to be named Champion Older Mare and the Kentucky bred colt SKY PROMISE, winner of three western Canadian Derbys, is the likely Champion 3-year-old colt.

Canadian Thoroughbred magazine and THOROUGHBLOG are well represented. Two stories in the writing category appeared in CT, a story on Pinnk Lloyd by Dave Briggs and a story on older racehorses by Hayley Morrison. A photo by John Watkins appeared on Thoroughbred and is nominated for Outstanding Photography.

Festivities begin at 5:30. awards at 730 – watch it here.

NOMINEES:

2YO Filly:
Bold Script (Speightstown)
My Gal Betty (Point of Entry)
Tiz Breathtaking (Tiznow)

2YO Male
Avie’s Flatter (Flatter)
Solidify (Tapizar)
War of Will (War Front)

3YO Filly
Dixie Moon (Curlin)
Here’s Hannah (Numaany)
Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro)

3YO Male
Lookin to Strike (Lookin At Lucky)
Neepawa (Scat Daddy)
Sky Promise (Sky Mesa)

Older Female
Escape Clause (Going Commando)
Gamble’s Ghost (Ghostzapper)
Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind)

Older Male
Mr Havercamp (Court Vision)
Pink Lloyd (Old Forester)
Tiz a Slam (Tiznow)

Female Turf Horse
Dixie Moon (Curlin)
Niigon’s Eclipse (Niigon)
Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind)

Male Turf Horse
Johnny Bear (English Channel)
Mr Havercamp (Court Vision)
Tiz a Slam (Tiznow)

Female Sprinter
Code Warrior (Society’s Chairman)
Escape Clause (Going Commando)
Moonlit Promise (Malibu Moon)

Male Sprinter
Ikerrin Road (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB})
Pink Lloyd (Old Forester)
Yorkton (Speightstown)

Outstanding Broodmare
Avie’s Empire (Empire Maker–dam of Avie’s Mineshaft {Mineshaft} & Avie’s Flatter)
In Return (Horse Chestnut {SAf}–dam of Johnny Bear and US GISW Channel Maker {English Channel})
Loving Vindication (Vindication–dam of Wonder Gadot)

Breeder:
Adena Springs
Chiefswood Stables
Tall Oaks Farm

Owner:
Gary Barber
Chiefswood Stable
Ivan Dalos

Trainer:
Kevin Attard
Mark Casse
Norman McKnight

Jockey:
Luis Contreras
Eurico Rosa da Silva
Rafael Hernandez

Apprentice:
Daisuke Fukumoto
Kazushi Kimura
Lenny Seecharan

Media nominees:

Writing Category:
Dave Briggs – Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd: A Hero for Our Times
Chris Lomon – Born to Beat the Odds
Hayley Morrison – Hail to the War Horses

Digital Audio/visual and Broadcast Category:
Horse Racing Alberta – Canadian Derby Homegrown Heroes
Horse Racing Radio Network – 159th Queen’s Plate
Woodbine Entertainment Group – Ricoh Woodbine Mile

Photograph Category:
Santino Di Paola – Into the turn
Hayley Morrison – Kingsport: A Class Act
John Watkins – Show Me the Money

OWNERSHIP INFORMATION DAY AT WOODBINE

The HBPA OF ONTARIO is hosting an ownership Information Day at Woodbine on May 11 beginning at 12 p.m.
The HBPA’s initative offers helpful advice and information on becoming a horse owner. Specialist Stacie Roberts can set you up with the variety of syndicates being developed by owners and trainers.

Another syndicate available is ENCORE RACING CLUB, managed by Amanda Roxborough who brought Ontario SPORT OF QUEENS club that was popular. Roxborough is selling 5% shares in the Belmont maiden winner LADY OXBOW who will race at Woodbine with trainer Mike DePaulo. See Encore Racing Club’s Facebook page for more information.

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER HORSE TO RACE?

April 2-year-old sale at OBS has big catalogue, many Ont.-breds

Canadian owned SHAMROCK ROSE is among the horses gracing the cover of the April 23-26 OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training sale and that April purchase went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

The gallop show for the sale is ongoing this week.

ONTARIO BREDS IN THE SALE

Hip  Workout time  Birthdate   Breeding    Consignor

63    10.2 4/20/2017 C Will Take Charge Golden Mean ON Kings Equine, Agent IV 2
88    10.2 5/22/2017 F Distorted Humor Hangingbyamoment ON Randy Miles, Agent V 18
122    10.3 5/12/2017 C Overanalyze High Tee ON Grassroots Training & Sales LLC J
171    22.3 3/7/2017 C Union Rags I Thirtyfive ON Southern Chase Farm, Inc. (Greg & Karen Dodd), Agent 7
296   21.3 4/3/2017 C Tapiture Macho Woman ON Q Bar J Thoroughbreds LLC 14
332   10.2 3/12/2017 C Curlin Mekong Delta ON Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XIV 8
431   10.2 1/18/2017 C Atreides On Rainbow Bridge ON Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, Agent
549   out 1/31/2017 C Union Rags Ribbon Cutter ON Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent XXII 5
657         3/8/2017 C Strong Mandate Souci Girl ON Whitman Sales LLC, Agent VII 16
710         2/27/2017 F Congrats Surtsey ON Niall Brennan Stables, Agent XVII 8
802        3/23/2017 F Lea Van Lear Rose ON Desert Thoroughbreds LLC 16
901         4/20/2017 F American Tap Tapiture American Castle ON Ocala Stud, Agent 4
914         5/4/2017 F Wicked Strong Another Flashback ON Potrero Stables 20
979        4/26/2017 C Honor Code Beth’s Bling ON Eddie Woods, Agent XLVII 11
1002     4/2/2017 F Paynter Breech Inlet ON Randy Miles, Agent XV 18
1012       4/24/2017 F Summer Front Button Girl ON G. A. Thoroughbred Sales, Agent 20
1038       3/6/2017 F Mineshaft Cat’s Garden ON Potrero Stables 20
1072       3/16/2017 C Congrats Clare’s Bernardine ON Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC E
1097       3/18/2017 C Competitive Edge Cool Slew ON Brick City Thoroughbreds 19
1135         4/18/2017 C Street Sense Dattt Echo ON Kings Equine, Agent V 2