Four Canadian Bred Stakes Highlight Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Card At Woodbine

Woodbine's Sunday card of racing spotlighted graduates of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's sales vying for over $600,000 in purses across four stakes events at the Toronto, Ontario racetrack.

Rookies competed over 6 ½-furlongs on the main track in the $201,200 Simcoe Stakes for colts and geldings, and the filly companion $201,600 Muskoka Stakes. The $100,000 Elgin Stakes, for colts & geldings, and matching $100,000 Algoma for fillies, both over seven furlongs on the Tapeta, showcased 3-year-olds.

Lorena ($3.50), under Gary Boulanger, let a pair of her rivals do the early legwork before the dark bay put in a determined late bid to win the $100,000 Algoma Stakes.

The Souper Speedy-Negotiable filly posted her second career stakes victory and fourth score from five starts for trainer Stuart Simon, who co-owns with Brent and Russell McLellan, and Gerry Olguin.

It was sweet redemption for the connections of Lorena, who arrived at the seven-furlong main track event for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada off an eighth-place effort in the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 1.

That was the first defeat for the $50,000 CTHS (Ont. Division) 2019 Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale purchase, who won the Fury Stakes in July.

A change of tactics, a late burst of speed, and a game effort in the Algoma put Lorena back in the winner's circle.

“Stu and I discussed it and we worked her last breeze and when she settles she's really good, but she's such a good gate horse, she leaves there so hard I'm always a length, two lengths in front,” said Boulanger. “I knew probably the five-horse (Fourteen Days) was going, maybe the seven-horse (Raven Echo), so we didn't want to be caught where we're always the target, the first wave comes on, we shake them off and here comes the second wave and wears us out, so we committed to running her the way she worked and get her back off the pace and make that tactical run instead of being the target.”

After breaking sharply, Lorena was settled into third by Boulanger, as Owen's Tour Guide and Fourteen Days matched strides through an opening quarter in :23.24. Owen's Tour Guide took clear command through a half-mile timed in :45.84, and began to open up on her eight rivals around the turn for home.

Five lengths clear at the stretch call, Owen's Tour Guide soon found herself under pressure from the trio of Lorena, Jilli Marie, and Pemberley.

It was Lorena who emerged with the lead in deep stretch, going on to post a 1 ¼-length victory over Jilli Marie. Pemberley was a neck back in third, while Owen's Tour Guide held for fourth.

“She got a little rubbery, she didn't switch leads today, but she was running and I wasn't too concerned about it and felt like she was still underneath me and even the gallop out was still there,” said Boulanger. “She's a pretty gutsy filly, she gives you everything she has.”

The final time was 1:23.79.

“She's just a plain, nice filly and we had a lot of reservations about running in the Oaks and it's the same old thing hindsight always easy,” noted Simon. “It was a very condensed schedule, she wasn't a real seasoned horse and hindsight is always easy, but we made the right decision to cut back today. She will win going two turns, but it'll be later on.”

Owned by Carlo D'Amato and Stacey Van Camp, and trained by Mike Mattine, Secret Reserve ($3.20) was once again impressive, this time in taking the $100,000 Elgin Stakes.

It was the second straight score and third from four starts for the son of Giant Gizmo-Smart Suzie, who arrived at the seven-furlong main track event for 3-year-old colts & geldings foaled in Canada off an equally sharp victory. On July 24, in a six-panel trek over the Toronto oval Tapeta, Secret Reserve won by 4 ¼-lengths under Rafael Hernandez.

The duo duplicated that effort with another big showing in the Elgin.

Breaking from post one, the pair sat third in the early going, content to watch pacesetters Jelgo and Mason's Gamble scrap over the lead. The frontrunners took their five rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :23.12 and a half in :45.85.

As the field straightened for home, Hernandez directed Secret Reserve to the outside to take aim at the leaders.

Midway down the lane, Secret Reserve struck the front and then began to easily widen his advantage, going on to post a 3 ¾-length score in a time of 1:22.30. Mason's Gamble finished a length ahead of Jelgo for second, with Perfect Crime nabbing fourth.

“He was perfect,” praised Hernandez. “Mike told me, 'Rafi, just try to follow a horse get him relaxed' and we got two good horses to make the pace for us and then he just come running. He was working good. That last work, he was unbelievable, he felt super great and that's why we were thinking to go to the seven-eighths.”

Bred by Dr. Brian Van Arem, Secret Reserve won his debut last September at Woodbine, his one and only race as a 2-year-old. After opening up 2021 with a fifth-place performance, he now has made two consecutive trips to the winner's circle, including his first stakes crown.

“Last year he was really on the muscle and showed a lot of speed,” said Mattine. “So, this year, I decided to take the blinkers off and bring him along slowly and in his morning works he would always start off slow and finish up really good and gallop out strong. His last two races have been almost a replica.”

The dark bay was a $9,000 purchase at the 2019 CTHS (Ont. Division) Canadian-Bred Yearling Sale.

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Baksheesh, making her first start for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, rallied from well back in the field of 12 to score by a convincing four lengths in the $201,600 Muskoka Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies foaled in Canada.

“She didn't have speed at the beginning that's why I was very focused that if I have a chance to get out that's it and I did, ”said Kazushi Kimura, who was riding Baksheesh for the first time. “That was a pretty smooth trip. When I was at the three-eighths I was like 'She's going to win for sure', and she did.”

Thatsitthatsall, at 18-1, finished second after leading a furlong out. Proud Speaker ended third, another 2 ½-lengths back.

The final time for 6 ½-furlongs on the Tapeta was 1:17.91.

Baksheesh, purchased for $18,000 at the local select sale, had kicked off her career here this summer for trainer Ralph Biamonte with a pair of promising efforts, finishing third and then second and attracting the attention of potential buyers.

“I got quite excited after the last race when you get somebody like Mark Casse or Aron Wellman from Eclipse calling me that we're interested in your horse,“ said Biamonte. “It's kind of nerve-wracking when you train a horse for them, but it was good and now tomorrow she can go and live with them.

“She's really nice. She's good, we never expected her to be that good and she'll get better. She does everything right and I'm going to have a good time watching her now.”

Baksheesh picked up $120,000 for her success on Sunday, a nice return on investment for her new interests. The Summer Front filly paid $4.50 as the favorite.

Ironstone, who tipped his hand with a bullet four-furlong breeze in :46.20 last weekend, proved he is no morning glory as he drew off to a very impressive 8 ½-length victory in the $201,200 Simcoe Stakes, for 2-year-old colts & geldings foaled in Canada.

Breaking alertly, Ironstone made all the running through fractions of :22.98, :46.21 and 1:10.28 en route to a final clocking of 1:16.61 for 6 ½-furlongs on the main under regular rider Ademar Santos.

“We put a lot of work into the horse,” said Santos. “I knew the track wasn't playing to speed, but when I looked on the lead nobody wanted to go and so turning for home I had a ton of horse. He's just amazing.”

Ironstone was just the 24th career stakes starter for trainer Willie Armata with his lone previous victory coming with Bold Corky here in the 2008 Classy 'n Smart.

“It feels unbelievable. It's been a long time (since visiting the infield winner's circle),” said Armata. “I remember telling (WEG racing analyst and on-air personality Jason Portuondo), 'So far in my career this is one of the best horses I've ever trained' and he showed that today.”

Where's Neal, a half-brother to Saturday's beaten Bison City Stakes favorite Miss Speedy, was prominent throughout and ended second in a promising debut.

Chairman Bob, the only winner in a field of 11 which included five first-time starters, rallied on the rail but flattened out to finish third as the very slight 2-1 choice.

Ironstone, a colt by Mr Speaker, had finished second in his 4 ½-furlong opener but then faltered to fifth when traveling 5 ½-furlongs. Sunday's start was his first since joining the Lasix program.

Knocked down for $7,000 at the local select sale, Ironstone picked up $120,000 for his Simcoe success and returned $6.20 after attracting late support.

This year's Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Premier Yearling Sale will be held on Wednesday, September 1, at 12 noon (ET) in the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.

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Competitive Field of 10 in Woodbine Oaks

A pair of undefeated fillies lead the way in a 10-horse, wide-open renewal of the Woodbine Oaks Sunday. Brent and Russell McLellan and Gerry Olguin's Lorena (Souper Speedy) is three-for-three and was most recently a front-running 3/4-length winner of the seven-furlong Fury S. July 10. The dark bay filly, 2-1 on the morning line, will be trying a route for the first time in Sunday's nine-furlong Oaks.

“She's just done everything so well,” trainer Stuart Simon said of the filly. “She keeps taking steps forward. I'm not concerned about the distance. I'm a little concerned about running back in three weeks. It's a cramped schedule, but there's also only one chance to win the Oaks.”

Also three-for-three is Kevin Drew's Jilli Marie (Dynamic Sky), who won the South Ocean S. at Woodbine last November. She just got her nose in front on the wire while making her return in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer last time out July 2. The bay filly is 8-1 on the morning line.

“She's a really gritty filly,” said trainer Katerina Vassilieva. “She has a lot of heart. She's such a small horse in stature, but she has a ton of heart. She tries so hard in all of her races. She's fearless, she's patient–she has all the right qualities of a really good racehorse.”

Breeze Easy's Curlin's Catch (Curlin), a 3-1 shot on the morning line, was a late-closing third in the Fury S. and would seem to be ideally suited to the Oaks' nine-furlong distance. The bay filly won the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs in February before fifth-place efforts against top company south of the border in the Feb. 27 GII Davona Dale S. and Apr. 3 GI Ashland S.

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Lorena Stays Undefeated With Fury Stakes Win At Woodbine

Undefeated three-year-old filly Lorena led all the way to win the $125,000 Fury Stakes and keep her perfect record intact for trainer and co-owner Stu Simon on Saturday at Woodbine.

Leading the field of Canadian-bred fillies through a quarter in :23.57 and half-mile :46.82, Lorena turned back her late challengers to win the seven-furlong sprint in 1:23.94 in rein to the hot-handed Gary Boulanger.

Through the turn, Lorena rebuffed Owen's Tour Guide, who also entered the Fury with a two-for-two record, and then held the late-rallying Astrological at bay down the stretch to defeat that foe by three-quarters of a length. Less than a length behind, Curlin's Catch completed a 2-3 finish for trainer Mark Casse.

Il Malocchio finished four lengths back in fourth with Bodacious Miss, Owen's Tour Guide, and El Bayern rounding out the field.

“I thought that she broke well, and she seemed to make the lead rather easily,” said Simon, who co-owns the Souper Speedy-Negotiable filly with Brent & Russell McLellan and former jockey Gerry Olguin. “She was setting sensible fractions and looked comfortable, so I wasn't worried about where she was at.”

Simon said he is still mulling over whether the Ontario-bred filly will head to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 1 at Woodbine.

“I hate to put too much on a young horse's plate, so we'll take it under careful consideration,” he said.

“She's an awfully good filly,” he added. “She ranks right up there with all of them. I think we've been fortunate to get some good young horses and it's worked out well.”

Lorena paid $3.90 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

It was a banner day for Boulanger, who had a grand slam on the 11-race program.

“It's everything that we work for and that we want,” said the veteran reinsman, who picked up the mount on Lorena when making his comeback from injury this season. “Everybody wants to do well, especially coming back from injuries, but sometimes it's harder to get back into that light. I've been fortunate to be involved with some great people that have given me the opportunities, like Stu and everybody else, and it's a lot of fun just getting back.”

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Former Jockey Gerry Olguin Owning His New Racing Role

Gerry Olguin racked up 42 stakes scores during his days in the saddle. Now, he's hoping his most memorable win comes from the Woodbine owner's box.

It's been four-and-a-half years since the highly respected jockey rode in his final race, a memorable triumph for a multitude of reasons.

Not only did it signal the end of 29 years in the irons, but the victory aboard Dumont in the final race of the card at Golden Gate on January 15, 2017, was the 2,000th of his career, with his father Roger and mom Norma proudly cheering him on.

“It's something I'll never forget,” said Olguin, who was born in California and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. “I was very fortunate to ride a lot of very nice horses over my career.”

All told, Olguin rode in more than 16,000 races dating back to his first win aboard Light The Tote in 1988 at Aqua Caliente in Tijuana when he was only 15. He won the Hastings Park rider championship in 1997 and 1998 before heading to Woodbine in 1999.

Over the years, he partnered several standouts, including Stunning Stag, Paladin Bay and Ablo, the latter to a 19-1 win in the 2004 Coronation Futurity, and an 8-1 victory at Fort Erie in the 2005 Prince of Wales Stakes, second race in the Canadian Triple Crown series.

And then there is Lorena.

A dark bay daughter of Souper Speedy, Lorena is co-owned by Olguin, Brent and Russell McLellan, and trainer Stuart Simon.

Olguin, who gallops for Simon, became a partner in the filly after a trip to the 2019 CTHS Canadian-bred Yearling Sale.

While the ex-rider is an admitted neophyte when it comes to picking out horses, his trust in Simon and desire to join the ownership ranks was more than enough motivation to get involved.

“After I retired from riding, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I started galloping. When I started doing that, I wanted to own a horse. I figured I'd try it. Stuart picked her out. We looked at so many yearlings on that day and I wasn't sure which one stood out. It was only the second sale I had been to, and we saw so many. I knew Stuart would have great insight and know what to do.”

Bred by Dr. Liam Gannon, Lorena debuted last November at Woodbine in a 5 ½-furlong main track event.

Sent postward as the 5-1 second choice in the field of 12, Lorena, under Rafael Hernandez, was 3 ½-lengths in front at the stretch call, going on to an easy 7 ½-length romp in 1:04.26.

“Before that race, she indicated she could be good first-time out,” recalled Olguin. “You had the sense from the mornings works. She was always very calm and when she ran that first race, she ran very impressively.”

Simon was understandably thrilled with the head-turning debut.

Just prior to the start of the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred campaign, he spoke glowingly, yet cautiously, about Lorena's future.

“She's Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred, so she's Canadian-bred eligible for everything, and I think she has a lot of upside if she takes those steps forward,” offered Simon.

On June 19 in a 6 ½-furlong trek over the Toronto oval Tapeta, Lorena did just that.

This time, as the 2-1 choice, she converted a head advantage at the stretch call into a sharp three-length score in a time of 1:15-flat.

Olguin believes the best is yet to come for the filly whose dance card could include the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser on August 1, and perhaps a spot in the $1 million Queen's Plate starting gate on August 22.

There are still question marks – she's yet to test two turns – ahead of those high-profile engagements, which has prompted Olguin to take a measured approach when speaking of Lorena's future.

“I try not to think about those races, to be honest. She's nominated to the Fury [July 10, at Woodbine, a seven-furlong main track test on the road to the Oaks] and if everything goes well, she'll go in there. After that, we'll just have to see. I just want to take one race at a time. My goal is to take her to work every day and come home safe with her. That's always my goal with any horse.”

All of that said, he likes what he sees.

And Olguin's viewpoint is well informed, considering he has an inside track in the mornings.

“When I gallop her, I like her stride and I like that she's calm. Nothing much upsets her and she has a very good mindset. She's nice to gallop. She's what you want in a horse. If you upset her, she can be feisty, but once I gallop her, she's all business. She goes out and does her thing.”

Should Lorena contest the Oaks and possibly, the Plate, Olguin will look the part.

He'll let those in silks chase glory while he fashions a suit and silk tie from the owner's box.

It's a decidedly different view from the one he had for a big part of his life, a perspective that can brings its share of new challenges.

“The other day when she ran, my hands were so sweaty that I couldn't even open my phone. I was so nervous and I didn't know why. I never got like that when I was riding. I had butterflies in my stomach sometimes – that happened lots of times – but never anything like her first race this year.”

Olguin wouldn't mind experiencing that reaction again, perhaps when she contests one or two of the biggest races on the Woodbine stakes calendar.

“If she moves forward from her first two races, she's going to be okay. I'm really enjoying being an owner. It's still a big rush when you see your horse cross the wire first.”

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