Canadian Triple Tiara Concludes With Saturday’s Wonder Where Stakes

This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara concludes when a field of nine talented 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies chase top prize in Saturday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Set at the distance of 1 ¼-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Munnyfor Ro, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Il Malocchio, third in the Oaks and winner of the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on August 28.

The race has also attracted the ultra-consistent Emmeline, a dark bay daughter of Violence.

Trained by John Mattine for RCC Racing Stable Limited and Realm Racing Stables, the filly, bred in Ontario by the late Bill Graham, has four seconds and one third from seven career starts.

After back-to-back fourth-place results in her first two starts last August, Emmeline was third, at 57-1 in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, to close out her rookie campaign.

Emmeline launched her sophomore season with the first of four straight seconds in a seven-furlong Tapeta race at Woodbine this June. Her runner-up finishes include the Woodbine Oaks and Bison City.

Mattine is hoping his hard-trying horse can break her maiden in style on Saturday.

“She's in good order,” said the stakes winning conditioner. “I think she raced well in all four of those races. I'm not disappointed in any of them. I thought her second race this year (July 10) where she just got nailed at the wire… it could have gone the other way, but you have to give credit to the other horse (Miss Marie, also entered in the Wonder Where) who won that day.”

He's expecting another strong showing this weekend.

“She's a game filly, she really is. It's lovely to have her. I've walked the (E.P. Taylor) surface and I know it's a little different than it is in the summertime. My opinion is that whoever wants the distance and that type of surface will win it. I think it will be a tight race. I don't foresee it as one horse blowing the others out. I'm looking forward to a good race.”

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A chestnut daughter of Munnings, Munnyfor Ro, trained by Kevin Attard, heads into the Wonder Where off a fourth-place finish in the Queen's Plate on August 22.

Owned by Raroma Stable, Munnyfor Ro has compiled a record of 2-2-2 from 10 starts, which includes a runner-up outing in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes in July.

The filly is no stranger to turf, with six grass races under her saddle, highlighted by a maiden-breaking nose score over 1 1/8-miles on good ground at Keeneland this April.

Munnyfor Ro launched her career last October at Woodbine, finishing eighth in a six-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor.

“We're obviously excited to see her back on turf, she had run so well over that footing during the winter and prior to coming back to Woodbine,” said Attard. “She seems like she's matured from a physical standpoint since the Queens Plate. I've been satisfied with the way she's trained heading into the Wonder Where and I'm expecting her to run very well.”

Il Malocchio is another consistent contender, sporting a record of 2-3-2 from 10 starts for trainer Martin Drexler and owner Franco Meli.

The daughter of Souper Speedy arrives at the Wonder Where in top form, punctuated by her impressive victory in the Bison City.

This will be the seventh overall stakes appearance and fourth straight added-money engagement for Il Malocchio, who broke her maiden on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf last September, courtesy of a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Victorian Queen Stakes.

One race prior, she finished second in a seven-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor.

Other familiar faces from the first two jewels of the Triple Tiara include Cielo d'Oro, third in the Bison City, Miss Marie, sixth and fifth respectively in the Oaks and Bison City, and Youens, fourth in the Oaks and sixth in the Bison City.

Bequia, also trained by Attard, Pemberley, and Tranquil Sky are newcomers to the series.

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

Sealy Hill, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2007, took all three Triple Tiara races in that same year.

First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as the ninth race. On Sunday, Queen's Plate champ Safe Conduct returns to Woodbine to contest the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 
1 – Tranquil Sky – Tony Maragh – Steve Owens
2 – Miss Marie – Shaun Bridgmohan – Breeda Hayes
3 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler
5 – Bequia – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
6 – Youens – Jeffrey Alderson – Angus Buntain
7 – Cielo d'Oro – Antonio Gallardo – Catherine Day Phillips
8 – Pemberley – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mike Mattine
9 – Emmeline – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine

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Il Malocchio Rallies To Win Bison City Stakes At Woodbine

Il Malocchio, coming off a third-place finish in the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, stalked the pace from fourth and rallied smartly through the lane to give trainer Marty Drexler the biggest win of his career in Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

In winning the 1 1/16-mile Bison City by half-length under Patrick Husbands, Il Malocchio dispatched of five fellow Canadian-bred fillies, including the highly fancied Miss Speedy, who faltered to finish fourth at odds of 2-5.

“She ran a big race today,” said Husbands, who was riding his leading eighth stakes winner of the meeting. “Last time she tricked me. By the quarter-pole, I thought I had the race won, but when I asked her she paused for about three strides and those three strides cost me the Oaks.

“Today, before we swung for home, I made sure I had her in gear.”

The Bison City unfolded as expected with Miss Speedy, unbeaten in two previous starts, went straight to the front from her inside post and led by 2 ½ lengths through a quarter in :23.57 and a half in :46.68.

And while she maintained a 2 ½ lengths lead through six furlongs in 1:11.13, her supremacy was about to be threatened as first Emmeline and then Il Malocchio loomed large.

Emmeline, who had nosed out Il Malocchio for second money in the 1 1/8 mile Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, had raced closest to Miss Speedy throughout and had led by a head over Il Malocchio with a furlong to run, only to succumb grudgingly as they stopped the clock in 1:43.42.

The second-place finish was the fourth straight for the hard-luck Emmeline, who remains a maiden after seven starts.

Cielo d'Oro closed for third money, three lengths behind the runner-up and three-quarters of a length before Miss Speedy.

Miss Marie and Youens rounded out the order of finish.

Owned and bred by Franco Meli, Il Malocchio placed in a pair of Woodbine stakes at age two and was sent south to trainer Kenny McPeek with a long-term eye toward the Woodbine Oaks. After finishing third in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Il Malocchio was up the track in the Fair Grounds Oaks but then finished a good second in a 1 1/8 mile allowance race at Keeneland with Kenny McPeek as her trainer of record.

Back home with Drexler at Woodbine, Il Malocchio opened up with a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong Fury before her solid effort in the Woodbine Oaks, where she was beaten 1 ¼ lengths.

“She's special,” said Drexler. “In my barn, we run a lot of cheaper, middle claimers. We don't have a lot of horses like this. It's nice to get one that you can play on this stage.”

Sent off as the 9-2 third choice, Il Malocchio returned $11.50 and topped a $33.60 with the 4.40-1 Emmeline. Cielo d'Oro, at 15-1, rounded out a $198.10 trifecta with Miss Speedy completing a $1 superfecta worth $207.75.

The Bison City followed the Woodbine Oaks as the second leg of Canada's triple tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. The $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at 1 ¼ miles on E.P. Taylor Turf Course, concludes the series on October 2.

“She gives it all; she's going to be getting close to being over the top”, said Drexler. “But, I have to think that's where we're going to aim.”

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Munnyfor Ro Best In Woodbine Oaks

Munnyfor Ro, under a patient ride from Justin Stein, took the 66th running of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser Sunday at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Raroma Stable Inc., Munnyfor Ro was the last to load in the first leg of the Triple Tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, but was first when it counted most, perhaps setting herself up for a shot at Queen's Plate glory on August 22.

It was Lorena, undefeated in three starts coming into the Oaks, who was put on the front end by Gary Boulanger. Emmeline, under Emma-Jayne Wilson, settled into second, with Miss Marie and Il Malocchio racing side-by-side just off the leaders.

After a quarter-mile in :24.35, Lorena was still in command as Emmeline, to her outside, remained squarely in contention. Munnyfor Ro, with Justin Stein aboard, was cruising comfortably in the eighth spot, and was still there after a half-mile clocked in :48.41.

As the field began to envelop Lorena, Stein and Munnyfor Ro, sixth after three-quarters in 1:12.35, began to pick off their rivals one-by-one and were full of run around the turn for home. At the stretch call, the pair was a half-length ahead of a determined Emmeline, who continued to fight on along the rail.

At the wire, Munnyfor Ro was a 1 ¼-length winner. Emmeline stayed on for second, a nose ahead of Il Malocchio, with 85-1 Youens taking fourth. The final time was 1:50.31.

Munnyfor Ro, the 3-1 third choice, returned $8.70 for the win.

“I was told the key with her is to have her settled,” noted Stein. “The pace… it looked like there was probably some possibility of them stopping, which we didn't want to be in behind them. I put her in a spot that we could tip out in the turn when it came time to ask her to run from the quarter-pole home. We had a dream trip; worked out perfect.”

It was an Oaks first for Attard and a second for Stein, who teamed with Academic to take the 2015 running.

“We were expecting a good performance out of her,” said Attard. “She came up here this season in good shape from [trainer] Brian Lynch – had a great campaign over the wintertime. She ran a fabulous race [second] in the [Grade 3] Selene. I thought she'd move off that race forwardly enough to kind of be really competitive here today. Had a good interim breeze and put it all together.”

For owner Rajendra Maharajh, it was a perfect day from start to finish.

“My good buddy Art Fisher from Ocala picked her out for me,” said Maharajh, who named the horse for his son 'Ro.' “She came up here [last year] and ran two races. She was a little immature at the time. We sent her down to Florida and gave her the winter off and then with COVID, my other trainer, Brian Lynch, took her over and prepped her up and we were always planning for this race. Brian did a fabulous job getting her ready and then she came over just about a month ago and Kevin did the final touches on her and he did a fabulous job.”

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The Oaks win wasn't the only icing on the cake.

“It's just a wonderful story and today's my mom's 80th birthday,” shared Maharajh. “Everybody is here with us, so it's a family day and a lovely day.”

The decision to run Munnyfor Ro, now 2-2-2 from nine starts, in the $1 million Queen's Plate, will be made by the filly's connections in the coming days.

“These are the races you want to win growing up as a kid here in Ontario,” said Attard. “With Woodbine my home, the Oaks and the Plate are obviously those pinnacle races for those 3-year-olds – just really happy and satisfied to get it done today.

“A mile and a quarter is going to be her trip; I'm not worried about the distance. We'll see how she comes out of the race and then we're going to have to sit down and talk, and see if supplementing her is the next move.”

The Woodbine Oaks has served as a Queen's Plate stepping-stone for fillies. Oaks-Plate champions include Holy Helena (2017), Lexie Lou (2014), Inglorious (2011), and Dancethruthedawn (2001). In 2018, Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot went on to win the Queen's Plate.

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