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Hicksy, Aubrieta Win Juvenile Stakes At Woodbine Saturday

In stakes action at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, Hicksy took the $130,000 Display Stakes, while Aubrieta won the $140,250 Glorious Song Stakes.

A bay son of Hootenanny, Hicksy, under Antonio Gallardo, tracked 6-5 choice Ironstone through a quarter in :23.08 and a half in :46.10, before turning up the pressure around the turn for home in the seven-furlong main track race for two-year-old colts and geldings.

The duo slugged it out down the stretch with Hicksy taking over late, going on to notch a three-quarter length win in a time of 1:23.38. Ironstone was second and Optigogo was third.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Lani Bloodstock LLC, the Kentucky-bred colt won his second straight race and notched his first stakes crown in what was his first added-money appearance.

“He was just kind of an unassuming little horse, just kind of a straightforward horse,” recalled owner Donato Lanni. “He just looked real kind and classy. I've been active in Kentucky, but I'm from Canada, from Montreal, and I always wanted to come back here and have some horses to run. I have a lot of friends and family in Toronto and it's just great to come back and hang out with my people.”

After a troubled fourth in his career bow on September 12 at Woodbine, Hicksy broke his maiden on October 3, in a race also contested at the Toronto oval.

“He's come a long way,” praised Attard. “We always thought highly of him. When he came to me from Kentucky, Donato said, 'This horse is really eager, he's been showing promise.' When he got here, he had a few little hiccups, just kind of baby stuff. His first race, we were expecting a little more out of him, but he kind of pulled a shoe off and I think that was a good enough excuse. Obviously, his last start, he put it together with an impressive win.”

Hicksy, bred by Richard Forbush, paid $6.60 for the Display victory.

Aubrieta, bred and owned by Conrad Farms, was back in the winner's circle, this time in the Glorious Song Stakes.

Sent on her way at 6-1 in the seven-furlong main track race for two-year-old fillies, the Mark Casse trainee was content to watch the early leaders duke it out before delivering her knockout punch.

Fulminate and Marie MacKay battled out on the front end, leading the field through opening splits of :22.83 and :45.55. Aubrieta, under patient handling from Patrick Husbands, was positioned fourth, well within striking distance of the top two.

When Husbands gave the Ontario-bred daughter of Speightster her cue, the bay responded willingly and sprinted away from her foes down the stretch, crossing the wire a two-length winner. Howdyoumakeurmoney rallied to secure second, a neck in front of Chocolate Addiction.

The final time was 1:22.85.

Aubrieta, who won her debut on September 11, was second in the Shady Well Stakes on October 8.

“You miss the break and Justin (jockey Stein, aboard Marie MacKay) got everything his way,” said Husbands, of the Shady Well. “But she showed me after the race that she was the best horse in the race. She galloped out like the winner. I called Mark after the race and said, 'Boss, she wanted to win so bad. She still thinks she won.'”

Husbands is confident Aubrieta can stretch out with ease.

“That (two turns) is what she wants to go.”

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Hicksy Becomes First Stakes Winner for Hootenanny

Hicksy became the first black-type winner for his GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-winning freshman sire Hootenanny Saturday in Woodbine's Display S. Fourth on debut over the local synthetic Sept. 12, he rebounded with a six-length demolition next out at this oval Oct. 3, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. Keeping a watchful eye on the leading favorite from second through a :46.10 half-mile, the bay swept up alongside the chalk in the final sixteenth and edged clear to score. The winner is the first foal out of Fantastic Score, whose only foal since is an Exaggerator filly. She was bred back to Mitole. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

DISPLAY S., C$130,000, Woodbine, 10-30, 2yo, 7f (AWT), 1:23.38, ft.
1–HICKSY, 120, c, 2, by Hootenanny
                1st Dam: Fantastic Score, by Even the Score
                2nd Dam: Stormy Kristine, by Storm Creek
                3rd Dam: Cruising Kris, by Kris S.
($45,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Lanni
Bloodstock LLC; B-Richard Forbush (KY); T-Kevin Attard;
J-Antonio A. Gallardo. C$75,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0,
$98,129. *First black-type winner for freshman sire (by Quality Road).
2–Ironstone, 124, c, 2, Mr Speaker–Casey's Dreamin', by
Unbridled's Song. (C$7,000 Ylg '20 CANSEP). O-Tequesta
Racing Inc. and Jupiter Leasing Co.; B-Kingview Farms (ON);
T-W. V. Armata. C$30,000.
3–Optigogo, 120, c, 2, Optimizer–Colour the Wind, by Storm
Cat. ($0 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $4,700 RNA Ylg '20 OBSWIN;
$12,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT). O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Eoin G.
Harty. C$13,750.
Margins: 3/4, 3/4, NK. Odds: 2.30, 1.20, 23.95.
Also Ran: Heat Merchant, Souper Legacy, Twenty Four Mamba. Scratched: Dancin in Da'nile.

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Ironicus Colt Helium Dominates Juvenile Rivals In Woodbine’s Display

Helium, who had stamped himself as one to watch in his victorious debut at Woodbine on September 27, lived up to those notices with a four-length romp as the 7-5 favorite in Sunday's $100,000 Display Stakes at the Toronto, Ontario, track under returning rider Emma-Jayne Wilson.

The $100,000 Display, contested at seven furlongs this year after being raced over 1 1/16 miles since 1994, went with a field of seven 2-year-olds.

Helium was the meet-leading 13th stakes winner for trainer Mark Casse, who also took Saturday's Glorious Song among his eight overall wins on the weekend programs.

“He's a pro, this horse is like an old soul,” said Wilson.” First time he ran, we wanted to just get his legs and come running. He was up near the point and when I asked him to quicken, he quickened.

“So today, I was pretty confident. They set some decent fractions in front of him and he wasn't fazed. Even the horse on the outside moved up and he was like 'Oh, can I go now?' I said 'No, we'll just wait.'

“And sure enough, when I pulled the trigger — you've heard this said time and time again when you're standing in this winner's enclosure … when you pull the trigger and they go, they're good horses. Well, that's what got me here today.”

Maclean's Posse, also coming off an impressive first-out score and the strong 8-5 second favorite, moved sharply to the lead but was headed by Souper Classy through an opening quarter of :23.64.

That margin was reversed as MacLean's Posse caught the half in :46.40, with Gospel Way right there in third place.

Wilson, meanwhile, was biding her time in fourth place, but when she popped the question heading around the final turn, Helium was up to the task and had assumed total command when clocking the six furlongs in 1:10.27.

Gospel Way raced gamely to garner second money, a neck to the good of Decimator, the longest shot in the field at 56-1, who in turn had four lengths on fourth-place Exceed. Both Decimator and the 18-1 chance Exceed are trained by Ashlee Brnjas.

A faltering MacLean's Posse, Knight Kingdom and Souper Classy completed the order of finish as Helium crossed the wire in 1:22.62.

Rocket Reload, who entered in both the Display and the previous day's Glorious Song, opted for the latter race, finishing fifth behind the Casse-conditioned Souper Sensational.

Helium, who races for the D.J. Stable LLC of Len and Jon Green, is a Kentucky-bred colt from the first crop of foals by the Claiborne Farm stallion Ironicus and the Thunder Gulch mare Thundering Emilia.

“It really makes a difference when you have horses that have that sort of competence of what's going on,” said Wilson. “You know that means they're going to develop into something really decent because they've got the fortitude, they've got the brain.

“We talked about all the horses that we have, you know there's different ability levels and different competency levels and trainers are trying to balance that and make it work. But when you've got a horse that has the ability and the competency, they win stakes and they go on to do great things.”

The $55,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling purchase returned $4.80, $2.80 and $2.80 and keyed a 6-7 exactor with Gospel Way ($4.40, $3.60) of $22.60. Decimator ($10.10) completed the 6-7-2 trifecta of $132.10. Decimator rounded out the 6-7-2-1 superfecta worth $578.20 for $1.

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Helium Floats Away from Them at Woodbine to Become First Stakes Winner for Ironicus

Helium backed up a sharp and fast track-and-trip debut score Sept. 27 to dominate Sunday’s Display S. at Woodbine and become the first black-type winner for his freshman sire (by Distorted Humor). Off as the narrow 7-5 favorite over fellow impressive debut winner Maclean’s Posse, the bay broke well and took up a stalking spot off the inside as his chief market rival took heat from two foes through splits of :23.65 and :46.40. Helium advanced ominously while out wide heading for home, and found another gear when called upon in the stretch to float away from his foes at will while capping a huge weekend North of the border for his trainer.

For the racing week at Woodbine, Casse sent out one winner each on Thursday and Friday; five on Saturday including dominant ‘TDN Rising Star’ Souper Sensational (Curlin) in the filly equivalent of the Display, the Glorious Song S.; and three on Sunday. He now boasts more than triple as many wins as the next trainer in the Woodbine meet standings.

“He’s a pro, this horse is like an old soul,” said pilot Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was celebrating a three-win day of her own that also included a victory in the GI Northern Dancer Turf S. “First time he ran, we wanted to just get his legs and come running. He was up near the point and when I asked him to quicken, he quickened… So today, I was pretty confident. They set some decent fractions in front of him and he wasn’t fazed. Even the horse on the outside moved up and he was like ‘Oh, can I go now?’ I said ‘No, we’ll just wait.’… And sure enough, when I pulled the trigger–you’ve heard this said time and time again when you’re standing in this winner’s enclosure…when you pull the trigger and they go, they’re good horses. Well, that’s what got me here today.”

Helium’s dam produced a Classic Empire maker colt in 2019 and an Accelerate colt this term before being bred back to American Pharoah. Sire Ironicus, now a Claiborne resident, blossomed at ages four and five, annexing a trio of graded races on the grass for Shug McGaughey and Stuart Janney III before just missing in the 2016 GI Shadwell Turf Mile S.

DISPLAY S., C$101,600, Woodbine, 10-18, 2yo, 7f (AWT), 1:22.62, ft.
1–HELIUM, 120, c, 2, by Ironicus
                1st Dam: Thundering Emilia, by Thunder Gulch
                2nd Dam: Saint Emilia (Per), by Saint Ballado
                3rd Dam: Proud Emilia, by Proud Appeal
($55,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-D. J. Stable
LLC; B-Teneri Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse; J-Emma-Jayne Wilson. C$60,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $77,763. *1/2 to Mighty Scarlett (Scat
Daddy), GSP, $225,860; Emilia’s Moon (Malibu Moon),
G1SW-Per.
2–Gospel Way, 120, g, 2, Brody’s Cause–Bible Belt, by Pulpit.
O-William B. Thompson, Jr.; B-William B. Thompson (VA);
T-Nathan Squires. C$20,000.
3–Decimator, 118, g, 2, The Big Beast–Ragtime Road, by
Dixieland Band. ($40,000 Ylg ’19 OBSOCT). O-Colebrook Farms;
B-Jimmie Ballinger (FL); T-Ashlee Brnjas. C$11,000.
Margins: 4 1/4, NK, 4. Odds: 1.40, 5.35, 56.85.
Also Ran: Exceed, Maclean’s Posse, Knight Kingdom, Souper Classy. Scratched: Rocket Reload. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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