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“Kevin said he might be the most talented 3-year-old he has, but he hadn't mentally put it together. Today, he showed he did,” said Boulanger, who captured his first Prince of Wales win.

In the battle down to the wire with Attard's other trainee, Harlan Estate, Boulanger was confident his mount could get the job done in the 1 3/16-mile race over Fort Erie's dirt course.

“He's a horse that's really come into himself,” said Boulanger after steering Haddassah to victory.

Eighth in the Queen's Plate, Haddassah's conditioner Attard was extremely pleased with Haddassah heading into the Prince of Wales.

“He's trained really well since and he really matured since the Queen's Plate; he's more relaxed in his training in the mornings,” said Attard. “We elected to take him off of Lasix for the Queen's Plate and he ran without the medication today as well just because I thought it was reacting negatively to him. He put it all together today.”

Haddassah returned $15.50 to his backers. Attard's two other contenders, Harlan Estate and H C Holiday finished second and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, Tino Attard's trainee, Keep Grinding finished third.

An eventful day at Fort Erie, the program was filled with various stakes including the Rondeau Bay Stakes and the Lake Erie Stakes. Each race was part of the inaugural Ontario Sired Heritage Series, a new eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario-sired 3-year-olds, featured both at Woodbine and Fort Erie.

The Rondeau Bay Stakes went to Red Equinox with jockey Christopher Husbands. Trained by Jamie Attard for owner Norseman Racing Stable, the 3-year-old filly returned $7.80 to her backers.

After his first stakes win, trainer Jamie Attard, son of Hall of Fame trainer Sid Attard, said the victory was very special. “It's something you dream about all the time when you're growing up and thinking about getting into this business and learning from someone like my father.”

The Lake Erie Stakes was captured by Red River Rebel with jockey Rafael Hernandez for trainer Kevin Attard and owners Denny Andrews and Northern Dawn Stables, Inc., returning $5.10 to win.

The two cup races on the 11-race card included the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup as well as the Molson Cup.

Seau was first across the finish line in the Le Cinquieme Essai Cup. Jockey Sunny Singh picked up the mount for trainer John Simms and owner Deborah Fletcher.

“He was pretty cool the first time I sat on him a few weeks ago, and he just did everything on his own and did it all right,” said Sunny Singh from the winner's circle after the race. “He is just an awesome animal to be around, and John and his crew did a great job.”

The Molson Cup was scooped up by Feature Creature and rider Kazushi Kimura, giving owner Deborah Fletcher and trainer John Simms their second cup victory on the card.

It was a good day at the betting window with the handle hitting the $2 million mark.

There are 11 racing days left in the 2021 Fort Erie racing calendar. For more information, please visit forterieracing.com

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The 6-1 chance, third in the GIII Marine S. July 11 and eighth after getting rank early in the Queen's Plate last time Aug. 22, both over the Woodbine all-weather, chased in second as they passed the Fort Erie grandstand for the first time. He remained in a perfect, stalking position through a half mile in :47.30, made his move to take over on the far turn and dug down gamely in the stretch to hold Harlan Estate (Kantharos) safe for a one-two finish for trainer Kevin Attard.

A debut winner in an off-the-turfer at Woodbine last November, the Al and Bill Ulwelling homebred was a well-beaten third in grassy allowance at Woodbine June 13 prior to his two aforementioned stakes tries.

Pedigree Notes:

This is the second stakes winner for young sire Air Force Blue and sixth stakes winner for broodmare sire Whywhywhy.

Ten-time winner and multiple stakes-placed Lady Haddassah, claimed by Al and Bill Ulwelling for $16,000 at Oaklawn in 2013, is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old gelding Haddassah's Devil (Daredevil); a yearling colt by Lookin At Lucky; and a colt by Mo Town of this year. She was bred back to Air Force Blue.

Tuesday, Fort Erie
PRINCE OF WALES S., C$400,000, Fort Erie, 9-14, (C), 3yo,
1 3/16m, 1:56.15, ft.
1–HADDASSAH, 126, g, 3, by Air Force Blue
1st Dam: Lady Haddassah (MSP, $248,164), by Whywhywhy
2nd Dam: Baby Lexi, by Storm Boot
3rd Dam: Queen's Castle, by Pleasant Tap
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Al & Bill Ulwelling (ON); T-Kevin
Attard; J-Gary Boulanger. C$240,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2,
$267,261.
2–Harlan Estate, 126, c, 3, Kantharos–Archerette, by Arch.
($39,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTKJUL; $90,000 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-ERJ
Racing, LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC, Madaket Stables LLC &
Clay Scherer; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-Kevin Attard. C$80,000.
3–Keep Grinding, 126, c, 3, Tizway–Samsal, by Consolidator.
(C$13,000 Ylg '19 CANSEP). O-Joshua J. Attard; B-Huntington
Stud Farm Corp. (ON); T-Tino Attard. C$40,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 4. Odds: 6.75, 3.45, 4.70.
Also Ran: H C Holiday, Curlin's Catch, Tidal Forces, Avoman, Ready At Dawn. Click for the Equibase.com chart.

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With Rafael Hernandez aboard, the Kevin Attard trainee stalked the dueling front-runners before launching her winning bid three-wide in the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile main track stakes event.

Avie's Samurai left sharply and darted to the lead with Justleaveitalone joining her on top to trade blows through fractions of :24.91, :48.68 and 1:26.61. Reigning divisional champion and Woodbine Oaks winner Curlin's Voyage attempted to circle the pacemakers approaching three-quarters, but the even-money favorite posed no threat down the lane.

At the top of the stretch, Merveilleux exploded with late pace and drew off by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:44.37, with Avie's Samurai staying for second over the late-rallying Afleet Katherine, also trained by Attard. Ann of Cleves, Curlin's Voyage and Justleaveitalone completed the order of finish.

“I just wanted to make sure to get the right move, at the right time,” said Hernandez. “I didn't want to get it too early and then flatten out in the lane, but everything worked good in the whole race. We sat behind the speed horse, relaxed good and everything worked perfect today.”

Bred by Mike Carroll, the daughter of Paynter out of Breech Inlet now boasts three wins and third (in the Woodbine Oaks) from five sophomore starts for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling. The consistent filly has hit the board in eight of her 11 races lifetime.

“She was kind of misfortunate earlier in the year to have some rough trips and some bad racing luck, but she's really put it together lately and I'm just happy to see it for the owners,” said Attard, via a video call after watching the race from home.

Merveilleux's late-season stakes success puts her in the conversation for divisional Sovereign Award honors.

“The championship is not based on one or two months of the year, it's over the season, and she's obviously gotten better as the season's gone on and she's at the top of the division right now,” noted Attard. “We're just happy that she's progressed like we wanted her to and hopefully she turns out to be a nice 4-year-old.”

Merveilleux paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice. 

Live Thoroughbred racing continues at Woodbine Racetrack on Sunday, Nov. 22, featuring the $125,000 Grey and matching Mazarine, a pair of Grade 3 stakes for two-year-olds.

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Bred and owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Haddassah, a bay son of Air Force Blue, didn't fly under the radar in his curtain-raising effort on Nov. 1.

Trained by Kevin Attard, the Ontario-bred went off as the 9-5 choice in the mile and 70-yard main track maiden special weight event, a race that was originally scheduled for the turf.

Under Justin Stein, Haddassah improved from seventh at the quarter-mile mark to second at the stretch call, going on to record a half-length score in a time of 1:42.50.

The gelding will now look to build off that smart score when he takes to the Woodbine Tapeta again on Sunday.

“The farm in Kentucky liked him as a baby, then as he got to Kevin, from day one, he has liked him,” said Al Ulwelling. “He had more leg than his brother and sister … just a taller, better-balanced horse. What stood out to us most was if he was fit enough [for his debut], and he was.”

Stein, who has 125 wins (as of Nov. 18) on the season and currently sits atop the Toronto oval jockey standings, was impressed by Haddassah's debut.

“He really showed a determination to beat his company in his first lifetime race,” praised Stein. “He ran like a true professional.”

The Ulwellings would like to see a carbon copy of that effort in Haddassah's second start.

“We are really excited to watch him Sunday,” said Al Ulwelling. “We feel he will run better with a race under his belt and just knowing he has been through the process.”

“Haddassah had trained really well heading into his first start,” noted Attard. “It was nice to see him transfer that into his debut. He was very professional and looked impressive graduating. He has come back to work well in the interim and we're hoping to see him take another step forward Sunday.”

The same connections will also send out Stephen, a 2-year-old son of Constitution.

Bred by Trackwest Racing Inc., the Ontario-bred colt broke his maiden in his most recent start, the $250,000 Coronation Futurity, on Nov. 1 at Woodbine.

After an eighth to launch his career on Aug. 30, Stephen finished second in his next start, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on Oct. 4.

“Stephen has really taken a step forward since his career debut,” said Attard. “Going into his second start, we thought he'd run a big race and he did. He had some traffic trouble but closed really well to run second. In the Coronation, he ran a similar race, but was able to get by and win. He's a colt that has a great mental attitude and is very easy to ride. We're excited to have two nice Canadian-breds.”

Mark Casse will present the one-two punch of Helium and Easy Time in the Grey Stakes.

Owned by D J Stable LLC, Helium deflated his competition in both of his starts, including a 4 ¼-length romp in the Display Stakes on Oct. 18 at Woodbine.

Under Emma-Jayne Wilson, the son of Ironicus watched his lead balloon from one length at the stretch call to an open-length victory in a time of 1:22.62 for seven furlongs on the Woodbine main track.

Helium won his debut, also at seven furlongs on the Tapeta, by 3 ¼ lengths on Sept. 27, paying $16.10 for the win.

“Where these races [Grey and Mazarine] are situated in the calendar – especially the Grey – is going to make to this one a really good race,” said Casse. “In the past, we would run the Grey [earlier]. I don't know who else is going to go in there, but we're going to run two really good horses.”

A victory by Helium would certainly stamp him as a legitimate contender – along with Grade 1 winner and fellow Casse pupil Gretzky the Great – for Sovereign Award 2-year-old male honors.

“Helium is quite talented,” said Casse. “He's raced extremely well in both of his races.”

Casse's other trainee, Easy Time, a dark bay son of Not This Time, was exceptional in taking his debut on Oct. 25 at Woodbine.

Sent off as the slight 7-5 choice, the colt, bred by Breeze Easy LLC, converted a mid-stretch bid into a 2 ¾-length win. Easy Time covered the seven-furlong Toronto oval Tapeta test in 1:23.92.

“He was extremely impressive in his first start. He's by one of the best young freshman sires in North America. And now, we're going to run him two turns for the first time. I think Easy Time will give Helium a run for his money.”

Owner J.K.L Ross won five straight editions of the race, from 1921-25. Wando, Canada's most recent Triple Crown champion (in 2003), won the Grey in 2002. Mine That Bird, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, took the race in 2008.

***

Casse, who has seven Mazarine titles, has two opportunities to add to that impressive total  on Sunday.

The 1 1/16-mile Mazarine, which offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $125,000, has attracted a field of seven 2-year-old fillies, including Casse charges Souper Sensational and Sleek Lynx.

Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Souper Sensational has lived up to her name over two starts, including a fantastic four-length display in the Glorious Song Stakes on Oct. 17 at Woodbine.

Sent on her way as the 3-5 choice, the chestnut daughter of Curlin widened her advantage down the lane, going on for the easy score in a time of 1:21.84 over seven furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta.

Three weeks earlier, Souper Sensational broke her maiden at first asking as she registered a 2 ¼-length win, also at seven panels, in a time of 1:23.54, in a $126,800 maiden special weight event.

“We decided not to go to the Breeders' Cup with her,” offered Casse. “She's been very impressive so far in her couple of races. We feel like her pedigree says she should be able to stretch out. She's coming out into it well. She had a nice breeze [four furlongs in :48.80 over the Woodbine main track on November 14], but it wasn't so much what she did during the breeze, but what she did after it. She galloped out really strong. Every indication says she should get two turns. But until you try it, you don't know.”

Sleek Lynx, owned by Gary Barber, will contest her fourth lifetime race, and second stakes outing.

The dark bay daughter of War Front, who finished fifth in the Natalma (G1T) on Sept. 20, broke her maiden last time out, a 1 ¼-length victory over one mile over “good” going on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Bred in Britain by Haras Don Alberto, Sleek Lynx finished second in her debut on July 23 at Gulfstream Park, finishing a half-length behind Director's Cut in a one-mile grass race.

“She's probably a better turf horse, but we're getting near the end of the year. She has a huge pedigree and it would be nice to pick up some black type with her.”

Casse won three straight Mazarines from 2012-14. His most recent triumph came three years ago with 2018 Queen's Plate champ and Canada's 2018 Horse of the Year, Wonder Gadot. He was also victorious in 2004 and 2007 with Higher World and Officer Cherrie, respectively, as well as in 2016 with Gale Force.

The Grey Stakes is race 10 and the Mazarine is slated as race 11 on Sunday's 13-race card. First post time is 1:25 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$125,000 GREY STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Haddassah – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
2 – British Royalty – Patrick Husbands – Barbara Minshall
3 – Stephen – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Lucky Score – Daisuke Fukumoto – Ralph Biamonte
5 – Barrister Tom* – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Ewing
6 – Lomaki's Gem – Jerome Lermyte – Stuart Simon
7 – Helium – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
8 – Easy Time – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
9 – Gospel Way – Emile Ramsammy – Nathan Squires

* denotes supplemented 

$125,000 MAZARINE STAKES
1 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
2 – Sleek Lynx – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
3 – Do You Love Me – David Moran – Michael Trombetta
4 – Batyah – Justin Stein – Graham Motion
5 – Army Wife* – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Maker
6 – Designer Ready – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Barbara Minshall
7 – Souper Sensational – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

* denotes supplemented   

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Justin Stein earned star of the card honors as he notched his fifth win of the day aboard the Kevin Attard trainee, who defeated Tio Magico by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:52.46 to break his maiden in the featured 11/8-mile stakes race for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds.

Tio Magico led the field of eight through fractions of :24.87, :49.20 and 1:13.15, with the favored Cup and Saucer Stakes winner Master Spy pressing the pace.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who followed second-to-last early on after an awkward start, was hustled into fifth-place on the final turn and tipped off the rail to run down Tio Magico in the stretch.

“He broke a little bit funny,” noted Stein, chalking the start up to the blustery weather conditions or the colt's inexperience, “but we recovered quick and I was happy with the trip we were getting and he just ran a good race.

“I had to make sure that he knew what was going on. I had to make him run a little more. He put his mind to the task when he got some daylight and took aim at the horse in front of him, he ran by him professionally.”

Giant Waters finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Tio Magico in third, with Master Spy, British Royalty, One Flint, Threefiftyseven and Flex completing the order of finish.

Stephen returned $6.30 to win as the 2-1 second choice in this third career start.

Attard said his trainee had always shown signs of talent and took a shot in the $250,000 restricted Simcoe Stakes for his August 30 debut over 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. Although running eighth there, he gained valuable racing experience.

The bay colt entered the Coronation Futurity off a strong second-place effort, finishing just a half-length behind the Sam-Son Farm homebred Tio Magico in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on October 4.

“Obviously, in the second race, I thought he ran great,” said Attard. “He showed a tremendous turn of foot, was coming to the winner and just ran out of real estate. He's trained well in the interim and he was coming into this race in great shape, so we were pretty high on our chances.”

Bred in Ontario by Trackwest Racing Inc., the colt by Constitution (named for former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper) was a $170,000 purchase from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2-year-olds in training spring sale.

With a gifted youngster taking what is considered a significant 2-year-old race on the road to next year's Queen's Plate, Attard dismissed the myths of the “Coronation Futurity curse” with a laugh. (The last horse to complete the Coronation Futurity-Queen's Plate double was Norcliffe, who won this race in 1975).

“Streaks are made to be broken,” said Attard, hoping stars will align in the 162nd running of the Plate. “I was born in 1975 so the plan is to break this curse next year.”

Speaking of young talent, the Ulwellings' homebred 2-year-old Haddassah debuted a winner in the race prior for the same connections.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday with an eight-race program set to kick off at 2:15 p.m. Please note that the upcoming Friday and Saturday cards will have special post times of 4:45 p.m. and 12:25 p.m., respectively.

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Jockey Rafael Hernandez worked out the winning trip aboard the Kevin Attard trainee, who was rated mid-pack along the rail early in the 1 1/4-mile turf test for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada.

Leaving from the inside post on the turn of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, She's a Dream assumed command with Justleaveitalone just to her outside before crossing in front as the field moved down the backstretch.

Justleaveitalone clocked an opening quarter in :24.99, half-mile in :50.89 and three-quarters in 1:16.60 with She's a Dream pressing the pace in second and Merveilleux, racing without blinkers here, behind the leaders and poised to make a move on the final turn.

Hernandez tipped Merveilleux outside coming into the stretch approaching the one-mile mark in 1:41:16, and the Paynter–Breech Inlet filly took off to score by three lengths. The winning time was 2:05.34 over a firm course.

Closing from the backfield, Gun Society finished second and the Josie Carroll-trained Curlin's Voyage, who was the 2-1 favorite after winning the Woodbine Oaks and finishing fifth in the Queen's Plate, was third. She's a Dream edged out Justleaveitalone for fourth by a half-length.

Sansa's Vow, the Attard-trained 3-1 second choice Afleet Katherine, Forty Zip, Ballrooms of Mars and Beyond Mybudget completed the order of finish.

“We've been having a rough meet with this one,” noted Hernandez. “I was impressed with the performance and we had a clean trip today.”

Hernandez said his filly was relaxed in the first turn and all the way down the backside.

“Turning for home, you switch and I said, 'Come on baby, keep it up, we have to do it!'”

Sent postward as the 5-1 third choice on the toteboard, Merveilleux paid $13.80 to win.

Bred in Ontario by Mike Carroll, Merveilleux showed her potential as a youngster finishing a close second in both the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Ontario Lassie to complete her 2-year-old campaign in 2019.

She won her June 21 sophomore debut before contesting a trio of stakes events, including the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, where she finished a game third despite traffic trouble, and ending up sixth in the Queen's Plate.

“She's been hard luck,” said Attard. “We've always liked her a lot. We thought heading into the Oaks we had the right kind of horse and even heading into the Plate with her we were really excited. Unfortunately, things haven't gone her way. It's been a tough season for the Ulwellings to boot, so it's just kind of the way the cards stack up and everything lined up our way today and she just had a good trip and ran to our expectations.”

Despite Merveilleux being pulled up in her only other grass race, when making her first career start in July 2019, Attard wasn't concerned about the surface change attributing the initial result to hot weather and noting the filly skimmed over the turf last weekend in her latest work.

Merveilleux now sports a career record reading 3-3-1 from 10 starts with earnings climbing over $550,000.

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The chestnut filly, whose eighth in :9 4/5 was the fastest at the distance at Thursday's under tack session, is out of Exotic Design, by A.P. Indy, a daughter of grade one stakes winner Exotic Wood and a full sister to stakes winner Key to Power.

• Dennis O'Neill paid $185,000 for Hip No. 383, a son of Half Ours consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, Inc., Agent, whose quarter in :20 1/5 on Wednesday was the sale's fastest at the distance. The bay colt is out of All About Ju Ju, by Into Mischief, a half-sister to stakes placed Gregorian Bay.

• Hip No. 473, a daughter of Palace Malice consigned by Hoppel's Horse & Cattle Co., Inc, was sold to Clay Scherer, Agent for Al & Bill Ulwelling, for $175,000. The bay filly, whose eighth in :10 flat was co-fastest at the distance on Wednesday, is a half-sister to stakes placed Merveilleux out of Breech Inlet, by Holy Bull, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Bauble Queen.
• Hip No. 427, a daughter of Uncle Mo consigned by Gayle Woods, Agent, who breezed three-eighths in :34 2/5 on Wednesday, was purchased by Randy Bradshaw, Agent, for $150,000. The bay filly is out of Bama Belle, by Giant's Causeway, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Funny Moon.
• West Bloodstock, Agent for Repole Stables, paid $110,000 for Hip No. 643, Amount, a son of Curlin who breezed an eighth in :10 2/5 on Thursday. Consigned by Harris Training Center LLC, Agent, the chestnut colt is a half brother to graded stakes winner Size out of Extent, by Pulpit.

For the session, 155 horses sold for a total of $3,869,800, compared with 225 grossing $7,719,700 at last year's second session. The average was $24,966 compared with $34,310 a year ago, while the median price was $13,000, compared to $17,500 in 2019. The buyback percentage was 25.7 percent; it was 17.3 percent last year.

The July Sale continues Thursday at 10 a.m. Hip No.'s 721 – 1114 will be offered.

To view the full results from Wednesday's session, click here.

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