Thursday, May 24 2012
The champ is back: Pender Harbour makes four-year-old debut in Eclipse
TORONTO, May 23 – Pender Harbour, who took the final two jewels of the Canadian Triple Crown series in 2011 and went on to cop top honours as the country’s champion three-year-old male, makes his seasonal debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Eclipse Stakes, at Woodbine.
Owned by Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk and Rob and Roberta Giffin, Pender Harbour, a chestnut son of Philanthropist, posted nose victories in both the Prince of Wales Stakes (Fort Erie) and the Breeders’ Stakes, at Woodbine, after finishing third to Inglorious in the Queen’s Plate.
Tuesday, May 22 2012
Gypsy Ring game in New Providence
TORONTO, May 21 - Paul Buttigieg's Gypsy Ring, under a strong ride by Justin Stein, held off a determined Paso Doble to win Monday's $125,000 New Providence Stakes, at Woodbine.
Creeping Barrage, Executive Five and Red Eagle tussled for the early lead in the six furlong Polytrack event as Gypsy Ring and Paso Doble stalked the early pace.
Monday, May 21 2012
First stakes score for Blues Dancing and Vassilieva in Lady Angela
The Survivalist-La Belle Bleu filly, with Luis Contreras in the irons, set the tempo cutting out a quarter in :22.53 and the half in :45.71 as Miss Scarlett Road tracked from second position.
Blues Dancing opened up a two-length lead at the top of the stretch and had plenty left in the tank to notch a three and three-quarter length score in a final time of 1:24.60 for seven furlongs. Miss Scarlett Road held steady for place, four and a half lengths in front of a closing Memories Last Love.
Monday, May 14 2012
Dixie Strike dominant in Selene
TORONTO, May 13 - John C. Oxley's Dixie Strike returned to winning form with an impressive rally up the rail to overtake Tu Endie Wei in Sunday's Grade 3 $280,000 Selene Stakes, at Woodbine
The Dixie Union-Noble Strike bay, bred in Ontario at Arosa Farms, raced from off-the-pace in the early going as Tu Endie Wei made the half in :49.29 with Wait Til Dawn on her flank.
Sunday, May 13 2012
Strait of Dover cruises in Marine
TORONTO, May 12 - Canyon Farm's Strait of Dover cemented his status as a top contender for the Queen's Plate (June 24) with an emphatic victory in Saturday's $156,300 Marine Stakes, at Woodbine.
The English Channel-Bahrain Star colt, with Justin Stein up, pressed the early pace of front-running Incredicat who set moderate fractions of :25.01, :48.95, 1:12.20 in the mile and a sixteenth main track event.
Friday, May 11 2012
Stern Marine test awaits ‘Dover’
TORONTO, May 10 - Canyon Farms homebred Strait of Dover will look to stay the course in Saturday's $150,000 Marine Stakes, at Woodbine.
The English Channel-Bahrain Star colt's form has improved dramatically since shipping to Woodbine in November, and the care of trainer Dan Vella, from Vancouver, following two lacklustre starts around the Hastings Racecourse bull-ring.
Monday, May 07 2012
Essence Hit Man fends off Vigil foes
TORONTO, May 6 – Essence Hit Man, with Jesse Campbell in the irons, got off to a fast start and then dug in late for a three-quarter length score in the featured $168,000, Grade 3 Vigil Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.
Last year’s Canadian champion sprinter, Essence Hit Man, an Ontario-bred five-year-old son of Speightstown, went one better than he did in last year’s Vigil, while running his win streak to three.
Thursday, May 03 2012
Peyton’s in a good place heading into Queenston
TORONTO, May 2 – Peyton, a dark bay son of Tale of the Cat, named after former Indianapolis Colts’ and current Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning, looks to touch down in the winner’s circle in Saturday’s $150,000 Queenston Stakes, on Kentucky Derby day at Woodbine.
The seven-furlong Queenston for Ontario-foaled three-year-olds is a major stop on the road to the $1-million Queen's Plate on June 24.
Monday, April 30 2012
‘Passion’ in the Fury
TORONTO, April 29 - John C. Oxley's Northern Passion cemented her status as a top contender for the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, with a rail-skimming run to win the $150,000 Fury Stakes, at Woodbine.
The First Samurai-A Touch of Glory chestnut, bred in Ontario by Mel P. Lawson, settled near the back of the seven-horse field in the early going under jockey Luis Contreras as City Trip set sharp fractions of :23.40 and :46.90 in the seven-furlong 'Poly' sprint.
Monday, April 23 2012
Attfield elected to National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame
TORONTO, April 23 - Eight-time Queen’s Plate-winning trainer Roger Attfield, who is based at Woodbine Racetrack, Ghostzapper, the 2004 Horse of the Year, jockey John Velazquez and conditioner Robert Wheeler, have been elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame.
The class of 2012 will be inducted on Friday, August 10, in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
Melnyk’s Roxy Gap ‘Sens-ational’ in Whimsical
TORONTO, April 22 - Eugene Melnyk's homebred Roxy Gap was an impressive off-the-pace winner of Sunday's $181,800 Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes, at Woodbine.
Roxy Gap, trained by 2011 Sovereign Award-winning conditioner Mark Casse, broke sharply in the six-furlong 'Poly' sprint but was quickly settled by jockey Patrick Husbands. Honey Chile led the field through a half in :45.11, as Husbands waited patiently from third-position with the Indian Charlie-Harts Gap filly.
Monday, April 16 2012
Town Prize impressive in Woodstock
TORONTO, April 15 - William Sorokolit's Town Prize made every call a winning a one in Sunday's $155,800 Woodstock Stakes, at Woodbine.
The three-year-old son of Speightstown-Prized Stamp, trained by Darwin Banach, completed the six-furlong main track sprint in a time of 1:08.22, nearly breaking Essence Hit Man's track record 1:08.16.
