Art of Almost Takes Ontario Matron At Woodbine

In a short field of six, Art of Almost and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson went from back of the pack to the front of the line to win the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Breaking from the first post, the 5-year-old daughter of Dansili was taken back early, setting in sixth a half-mile into the 1 1/16-mile stakes behind front runners Crystal Glacier and Juxtapose. On the far turn, Wilson angled the Casse trainee out, going three-wide as the field entered the stretch.

Down the center of the Woodbine straight, Art of Almost made her bid for the lead in the race's final furlong, hitting the wire a length and a quarter in front. Skygaze passed Juxtapose to grab second. Crystal Glacier, Saratoga Vision, and Afleet Katherine rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the G3 Ontario Matron was 1:43.99. Find this race's chart here.

Art of Almost paid $19.80, $4.90, and $3.40. Skygaze paid $2.40 and $2.10. Juxtapose paid $4.90.

Bred in Kentucky by Fred Seitz, Dr. Ted Folkerth, J.R. Ward Stables, and Jon Kelly, Art of Almost is out of the First Defence mare Reimpose. Consigned by Brookdale Sales, the 5-year-old mare was purchased by owner D.J. Stables for $290,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. With her win in the Ontario Matron, Art of Almost has two wins in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 25 starts and career earnings of $357,434.

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Curlin’s Voyage, Afleet Katherine Rematched In Woodbine’s Wonder Where

This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara comes to a conclusion when 10 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies take to the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course in Sunday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Set at the distance of about 1 1/4 miles, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Curlin's Voyage, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up in the Oaks and runner-up in the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on September 12.

A bay daughter of Afleet Alex, Afleet Katherine, trained by Kevin Attard, arrives at the Wonder Where off that silver effort in the Bison City, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Woodbine main track.

Sent off as the 4-5 choice, Afleet Katherine hopped leaving the gate before jockey Justin Stein settled her mid-pack in the eight-horse race. Hustled from the rail and sent two-wide into the final turn, she rallied gamely, but crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Mizzen Beau.

Bred and owned by Terra Racing Stable, the Ontario-bred will now make a return to the grass, the surface in which she contested her first two races.

Both efforts came over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course and both resulted in trips to the winner's circle.

Dismissed at 29-1 in her career bow on July 5, Afleet Katherine rallied impressively to win by a neck at seven furlongs over “firm” going. She followed it up 20 days later with another late burst to win by a head at the same distance and on the same ground.

“She got up in the nick of time both times,” said Attard, who is seeking his first Wonder Where crown. “She's shown she's a decent filly and we've been looking forward to this race for a while now.”

Which one of her wins stood out?

“I think the second race was the more impressive of the two because in that one she looked like she was backing up, going to be out of the picture, just kind of not fire. But she turned it around and won. First time out, I thought she was overlooked. She comes from a decent family and her half-sibling [Amalfi Coast, scheduled to run in Friday's Sweet Briar Too Stakes] had a great year last year. I thought that deserved a little respect, but it is what it is. She's just a big filly and has a little bit of attitude. She was a little immature and green to start, but she's come a long way and developed over time. You look at her record and it speaks for itself.”

The conditioner is also represented by Merveilleux.

A daughter of Paynter, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Merveilleux has a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts. She was third in the Woodbine Oaks and sixth in the Queen's Plate.

“I will say she has had three rough trips in a row, and I love her,” said Al Ulwelling. “She looked very comfortable working on grass in her last work. We are going to have her more forwardly placed this race as we feel she will encounter less trouble. From that point on, it's up to her.”

Attard's stakes weekend kicks off on Saturday when Clayton goes postward in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

The son of Bodemeister, third in the Queen's Plate and second in the Prince of Wales, will look to play spoiler in Mighty Heart's bid to become the first Crown winner since Wando in 2003.

“He's here in the third leg of the series now. I thought he ran a great race in the Prince of Wales and we're hoping he goes one better this time.”

In the Wonder Where, Afleet Katherine will once again face Curlin's Voyage, the chestnut daughter of Curlin who fashions a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts.

A four-time stakes winner, the Josie Carroll trainee finished fifth to Mighty Heart (also trained by Carroll) in the Queen's Plate on September 12.

Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage will be testing the turf for the first time under racing terms.

The filly breezed over the Woodbine turf on October 17, travelling five furlongs in 1:03 flat.

Ballrooms of Mars, Beyond Mybudget, Forty Zip, Gun Society, Justleaveitalone and Sansa's Vow and She's a Dream round out the Wonder Where field.

The race is named in honor of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.

First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as race eight.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 

1 – She's a Dream – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Justleaveitalone – David Moran – Nicholas Gonzalez
3 – Gun Society – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield
4 – Beyond Mybudget – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
5 – Merveilleux – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
6 – Curlin's Voyage – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
7 – Afleet Katherine – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
8 – Ballrooms of Mars – Steven Bahen – Catherine Day Phillips
9 – Sansa's Vow – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll
10 – Forty Zip – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Shug McGaughey

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Mizzen Beau Wires Bison City Field, Giving Norm Casse First Canadian Triumph

Mizzen Beau, under Steve Bahen, was strong early and powerful late in taking Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes presented by Rethink Breast Cancer, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

The mile and one-sixteenth Bison City, second leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies, was missing Curlin's Voyage, who won the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 15. The daughter of Curlin instead contested the 161st running of the Queen's Plate today, finishing fifth.

Trained by Norm Casse, Mizzen Beau arrived at the Bison City off a fourth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks. It was the second consecutive start at Woodbine for the Daniel Investment Holdings' grey, who finished fifth in the Fury Stakes on July 5.

The third time at the Toronto oval proved to be the charm.

Breaking sharply from the gate, Mizzen Beau was guided towards the rail by Bahen, as Infinite Patience and Truth Hurts settled in second and third, respectively, around the first turn and through an opening quarter-mile in :23.49. Mutuel favorite Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up to Curlin's Voyage in the Woodbine Oaks, sat fifth along the rail.

It was status quo for the top flight after a half-mile clip in :47.68, as Mizzen Beau maintained a comfortable one-length lead.

As the eight-horse field began the turn for home, Afleet Katherine and jockey Justin Stein looked for a seam to take aim at the leader, while Truth Hurts attempted an inside bid.

Any thoughts of corralling Mizzen Beau were quickly dashed, as Bahen and the Richard Lister-bred filly dashed away from their rivals with ease, widening their advantage down the lane.

At the wire, Mizzen Beau, who delivered Casse his first Canadian win, was 4 3/4-lengths ahead of Afleet Katherine. Truth Hurts was a head back in third, with Gun Society finishing fourth.

The final time over the Tapeta was 1:44.35.

“She broke real sharp, and she's kind of a small little filly,” said Bahen, who teamed with Silent Fleet to win the 1996 Bison City. “Norm [Casse] just said kind of let her be happy where she is like last time, and she was up there kind of tugging on me so I said, 'OK, this is where we're going to be' just hoping she'd settle down, and she did down the backside. Was perfect.”

Just as it was down the stretch.

“I didn't hear anybody behind me,” noted Bahen. “I kind of smooched to her to make her pick it up a little bit just on her own, and when we turned for home we went.”

The win was the third from nine starts for the daughter of Mizzen Mast, who debuted last July with a fourth-place finish at Ellis Park.

Mizzen Beau broke her maiden in her third career start, a sharp 2 3/4-length score over seven panels on the Keeneland dirt on October 11.

The third and final leg in the series is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at one mile and one-quarter on the turf, on October 25.

Mizzen Beau returned $19.10, $5.80 and $3.60, combining with Afleet Katherine ($2.80, $2.10) for a $42.90 (4-2) exactor. A 4-2-3 (Truth Hurts, $3.40 to show) triactor paid $143.60, while a $1 superfecta [4-2-3-8 (Gun Society)] was worth $413.40.

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