Fans Cheer Mighty Heart Home In Dominion Day Stakes

Horse racing fans were back in the stands at Woodbine Racetrack for the first time this season and cheered home Canada's reigning Horse of the Year Mighty Heart in the $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Grade 3) on Thursday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack.

Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, who was aboard the popular one-eyed colt when he won the first two-thirds of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown last year, was reunited with the champion for today's featured Dominion Day contested over 1-1/16 miles on the main track.

Trained by Josie Carroll and owned by Larry Cordes, the millionaire son of Dramedy established the lead out of the gate and crossed to the rail as he headed into the first turn. A pair of Mark Casse-trained graded stakes winners, Lookin to Strike stalked in behind with the favored March to the Arch just outside pressing the pace.

After a quarter in :25.23 and half-mile in :48.49, the pressure mounted as March to the Arch matched strides with Mighty Heart on the turn while Malibu Mambo rallied three-wide into contention as they passed three-quarters in 1:11.99. However, Mighty Heart fought back and pulled clear of his rivals down the lane to score in 1:43.33.

March to the Arch settled for second, 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner, while Malibu Mambo finished third in front of Lookin to Strike. Skywire, Canada's 2020 Champion Older Main Track Male, completed the field that was scratched down to just five starters.

“I'm glad to get the opportunity to ride this horse again,” said Fukumoto, who enjoyed a career highlight with Mighty Heart when they won last year's $1 million Queen's Plate. “I breezed him a couple times and today I was ready to go, and we did it today.”

Mighty Heart was well prepared for his return to Woodbine, coming off a victory in the Blame Stakes last time out on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

“I thought it [the Blame Stakes] just put him right where I wanted him,” said the four-year-old colt's Hall of Fame trainer. “In fact, he had two works after that, simply because he came out of it so well, we had to sort of take the high note off of him a little bit four days ago so he could settle in this race.

“I think he's just a good horse and he's maturing. We're pretty happy with him today.”

Mighty Heart now boasts five victories from 11 career starts for Cordes, who relished the moment to witness his homebred star in person and hear the fans trackside.

“It's quite a difference,” said Cordes from the winner's circle. “The feeling was much, much better, obviously, and so many fans were behind him.”

Sent postward as the 9-5 slight second choice in the wagering, Mighty Heart paid $5.80 to win.

The scratches were Atone and the Carroll-trained Breeders' Stakes champion Belichick, whose connections opted for an allowance race on Saturday's card.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday. Post time for the eight-race program is set for 4:50 p.m.

The post Fans Cheer Mighty Heart Home In Dominion Day Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Woodbine: $66,725 Pick-5 Carryover Thursday, Free Past Performances Available

Woodbine Racetrack's Canada Day lineup on Thursday has been bolstered by a $66,725.27 carryover for the Pick-5.

The $66,725.27 carryover comes from last Sunday's card after no horseplayers were able to nail down a five-of-five winning ticket. This marks the second carryover in less than a week for the Woodbine Pick-5. Horseplayers wagered $531,705 on last Friday's Pick-5, which featured a similar carryover to this Thursday's offering.

Woodbine and the Daily Racing Form have partnered to provide free past performance program pages for Thursday's entire eight-race card. The Pick-5, which features a $0.20 minimum, will start in Race 2. The free past performance pages can be downloaded here.

Thursday's feature race is the Grade 3 $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Race 7), headlined by reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart.

Woodbine will also welcome back spectators for the first time in 2021 on Thursday, as the track is now permitted to host 25 per cent of its outdoor capacity under Ontario's current 'Roadmap to Reopen' plan.

Post time for Thursday's eight race card is 1:20 p.m (ET).

The post Woodbine: $66,725 Pick-5 Carryover Thursday, Free Past Performances Available appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Canadian Horse of The Year Mighty Heart Headlines Thursday’s Dominion Day Stakes

Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart will return to the scene of his thrilling Queen's Plate triumph that propelled him to stardom last year at Woodbine Racetrack as the Josie Carroll trainee headlines the field for the featured Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes on Canada Day.

The Ontario-bred son of Dramedy enters Thursday's $150,000 feature event, to be contested over 1-1/16 miles on the Tapeta, fresh off a victory in the Blame Stakes on May 29 at Churchill Downs.

After taking the first two-thirds of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown during his sophomore season, Mighty Heart finished seventh in the Breeders' Stakes final leg, won by stablemate Belichick, and fourth in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby, both at Woodbine.

He opened his four-year-old campaign in mid-April giving way late to finish third in a Keeneland allowance race before returning to the stakes spotlight.

Owned and bred by Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart has four wins from 10 career starts, with his latest earning him millionaire status.

Jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, who was aboard for the popular one-eyed colt's Triple Crown bid, will be back in the irons for the Dominion Day with Mighty Heart starting from post four in the seven-horse field.

The aforementioned Breeders' Stakes champion Belichick will also be competing in the Dominion Day for NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods. Luis Contreras will be back aboard the Lemon Drop Kid colt, who has finished no lower than third in all six of his career starts while banking more than $500,000 in purse earnings.

A runner-up in the Queen's Plate and Grade 3 Ontario Derby, Belichick also finished second in his 2021 debut, missing by just a nose when running back on the turf, in a 1-1/16-mile allowance race on May 13 at Churchill Downs.

Scheduled as the seventh of eight races on the Canada Day card, the Dominion Day also features the Mark Casse-conditioned graded stakes winners Lookin to Strike, March to the Arch and Skywire.

Returning to action on Thursday following an injury, jockey Rafael Hernandez will partner with Skywire, who was named Canada's 2020 Champion Older Main Track Male thanks in part to a pair of Grade 2 stakes wins, the Eclipse and Autumn, last year at Woodbine for owners Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci.

Other contenders in the field include Malibu Mambo, now trained by Michael Doyle for Stronach Stables, and Atone for trainer Eoin Harty and owner Godolphin LLC.

First race post time is 1:20 p.m., with the Dominion Day scheduled for approximately 4:24 p.m.

$150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Grade 3)

1 – Lookin to Strike – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

2 – March to the Arch – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

3 – Atone – Justin Stein – Eoin Harty

4 – Mighty Heart – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll

5 – Malibu Mambo – David Moran – Michael Doyle

6 – Belichick – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

7 – Skywire – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

The post Canadian Horse of The Year Mighty Heart Headlines Thursday’s Dominion Day Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights