Month: April 2023

Woodbine Launches 2023 Thoroughbred Season With Nine Races Saturday

Woodbine Entertainment is set to launch its 2023 Thoroughbred racing season this Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

The 2023 season at Woodbine will consist of 133 race dates, highlighted by the 164th running of The King's Plate on Sunday, August 20, and runs through Sunday, December 17. By the end of May, the live racing schedule will be up to four-days-a-week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) for the balance of the meet.

“The opening of a new season is always a fun time of the year with so much optimism for a great meet,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine. “We had a tremendous season in 2022 with record wagering numbers, so it's only natural that we raise expectations and aim to post another record year.

“We're excited to have everyone back and get things going on Saturday.”

Saturday's opening day card will feature nine-races with post time scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Fans coming out for opening day can pick-up a free Woodbine fanny pack as part of a giveaway on Level 2 of the grandstand.

To view the entries for Saturday, click here.

The new season at Woodbine will see familiar and new faces set to compete. The goals of each participant vary, but all circle back to spending as much time as possible in the winner's circle.

Veteran jockey Luis Contreras, a winner of 2,442 races, returns to Woodbine aiming for a strong season from start to finish.

“Each year, I want to do better than the year before and to win the big races,” said Contreras, a two-time Queen's Plate winner. “You always want to start the year out strong and carry that throughout the whole season.”

Apprentice jockey Sofia Vives is returning to Woodbine to race regularly after taking the Toronto track by storm late in 2022. The 21-year-old jockey posted four wins and eight top-three finishes in 16 starts last season at Woodbine.

“If I can win the Sovereign Award, that would be great,” said Vives. “I want to win three in a day as well. I've won two in a day, but if I can get three, that would be amazing. I would be the happiest girl in the world.”

Last year's Queen's Plate winning jockey Rafael Hernandez led all riders in stakes victories and finished second overall for the season in wins. The accomplished jockey remains focused on Canada's most prestigious race, which returns to moniker of The King's Plate for the first time since 1951.

“Now, I want to win the King's Plate this year. We won the last Queen's Plate – you never know when the next time it will be named that. It would be so special to win the last Queen's Plate and first King's Plate.”

The 164th running of The King's Plate on Sunday, August 20 is the crown jewel of the 2023 live racing season. Other marquee dates include the Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, on Sunday, July 23, the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile on Saturday, September 16 and the Grade 1 Canadian International on Sunday, October 8.

To view the entire 2023 stakes schedule, click here.

Horseplayers can watch and wager on the entire 2023 season at Woodbine through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

For the latest racing schedule, live video, wagering tools and news, visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB and @WoodbineComms on Twitter.

The post Woodbine Launches 2023 Thoroughbred Season With Nine Races Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Curlin-Lady Aurelia Juvenile Colt Romps to Rising Stardom; Royal Ascot Next

Stonestreet homebred American Rascal (c, 2, Curlin–Lady Aurelia, by Scat Daddy), the first foal out of international superstar and two-time Royal Ascot winner Lady Aurelia, romped on debut in a jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' performance for Wesley Ward over the Keeneland main track Thursday afternoon. A trip to Royal Ascot could be in the cards for the mighty Curlin's 24th 'Rising Star.'

“He's a super fast horse,” Ward said in the winner's circle on FanDuel TV. “The good thing about running at Ascot is that they go in and out of the races completely sound. That turf course there and at Keeneland are ideal–just so safe for all these fast 2-year-olds early in their career. We'll center in on the [G2] Norfolk [going five furlongs at Royal Ascot June 22]. Of course, we'll talk it over with Ian Brennan and Barbara [Banke]'s team and Barbara herself. That's what he was given to me for. His mother did so great over there. I really look forward to this guy. He's gonna be something.”

American Rascal fired a three-furlong bullet in :35 3/5 (1/13) at Keeneland Apr. 9 and was hammered down to 1-2 in this nine-horse field. He broke sharply beneath a whipless Joel Rosario and was content to back off and chase Loudermilk (Bernardini) from second through an opening quarter in :22.21. American Rascal began to wind up on the far turn and blasted off down the stretch in eye-catching fashion with just a shake of the reins to graduate by 10 1/4 lengths. Prints Money (Munnings) was second.

The Stonestreet-bred and Ward-trained Lady Aurelia, a $350,000 KEESEP yearling purchase  campaigned by Stonestreet, George Bolton and Peter Leidel, brought $7.5 million from Stonestreet to dissolve a partnership at the 2018 FTKNOV sale.

Lady Aurelia romped on debut with a 'Rising Star' performance of her own over the same course and distance in Lexington in 2016. She captured Royal Ascot's G1 King's Stand S. and G2 Queen Mary S., the G1 Darley Prix Morny in France and the Giant's Causeway S. over the Keeneland lawn. She fell just a nose short in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York. Lady Aurelia produced a filly by Into Mischief in 2022.

2nd-Keeneland, $79,675, Msw, 4-20, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :51.21, ft, 10 1/4 lengths.
AMERICAN RASCAL, c, 2, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Lady Aurelia (Hwt. Filly-Eng & Fr, G1SW-Eng & Fr, SW-USA, $834,945), by Scat Daddy)
                2nd Dam: D' Wildcat Speed, by Forest Wildcat
                3rd Dam: Velvet Panther, by Pentaquod
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $47,120. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.

 

The post Curlin-Lady Aurelia Juvenile Colt Romps to Rising Stardom; Royal Ascot Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Al Shira’aa Racing to Sponsor Classic Trials at Naas

Al Shira'aa Racing will be the feature sponsor with their co-sponsorship of the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. on May 6, Naas Racecourse and Al Shira'aa Racing announced on Thursday. The Kildare-based operation will also continue to support the Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial on June 28.

A stepping stone to the Oaks at Epsom, the Blue Wind has thrown high-class winners in recent years, including multiple Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal).

Al Shira'aa Racing is headed by Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan and managed by Kieran Lalor. Al Shira'aa Racing have horses in training in Ireland with Ger Lyons and Willie McCreery, in France with Carlos Laffon Parias and Pascal Bary, and in the USA with Christophe Clement and Neil Drysdale. They enjoyed major international success with Mutamakina, the winner of the GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine in 2021.

“We are delighted to be increasing our sponsorship and support of Irish racing to include the Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. alongside the Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial,” said Kieran Lalor, general manager of Al Shira'aa Racing. “Sponsoring these Classic trials at Naas is a great way for us to show our continued support for the Irish racing industry and we can recognise the hard work all stable staff put in, which was an important factor for the boss.”

Al Shira'aa Racing have boosted the prize fund for the Best-Turned-Out winner to €250 and to recognise the importance of stable staff, all grooms leading up in the race will receive €100.

Eamonn McEvoy, general manager of Naas Racecourse, added, “The G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. being a 3-year-old-only race is positioned perfectly in the calendar to be a leading Epsom Oaks Trial.”

For more information, visit the Naas Racecourse website.

The post Al Shira’aa Racing to Sponsor Classic Trials at Naas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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