Can’t Buy Love Rallies Late To Win Star Shoot At Woodbine

Can't Buy Love kicked off the 2021 season's stakes action, rallying late to win the $125,000 Star Shoot six-furlong sprint for three-year-old fillies at Woodbine Race Course in Toronto, Ontario.

Justin Stein worked out the winning trip aboard the Michael Trombetta trainee in her Woodbine debut after she was claimed for $75,000 at Gulfstream Park over the winter by R. Larry Johnson.

Polyanthus was joined on top by 2-5 favorite Drunk Dial, both coming off successful career debuts in 2020, and they traded blows through fractions of :21.69 and :44.09 with a quick-leaving California Lily stalking the pace and striking in the final furlong. Meanwhile, Can't Buy Love settled off the pace in sixth before launching wide into contention on the turn and surging to victory. The final time was 1:09.47.

“They were moving along, the field in front of me. The favorite actually broke bad to the outside and I had a chance to kind of make that horse have to do a little extra early and then she [Can't Buy Love] just settled into stride and waited for her cue,” said Stein after the race. “I could tell she wanted to win, she was surging at those horses and she wanted to be at the wire first today.”

Sent postward at odds of 12-1 in the field of eight that include four Mark Casse trainees, the supplemented shipper Can't Buy Love returned $27.30 to win. Dirty Dangle nosed out California Lily in a place photo less than a length behind the winner, while the season-debuting Sweet Souper Sweet picked up fourth money for the Trombetta stable finishing ahead of early trailer La Libertee. Polyanthus, Drunk Dial, and Magical Soul completed the order.

Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, the Twirling Candy-Pay the Kitten filly earned her first win of the season in her fifth outing and improved her lifetime record to 3-1-1 from nine starts.

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Beyond The Win: Red Hierarchy Was Worth Waiting For

The road to one Ontario-bred's first win came later rather than sooner, but for the chestnut's connections it made the victory all the more memorable.

For trainer Jamie Attard, watching Red Hierarchy in the seconds before he burst from the starting gate on July 12 at Woodbine Racetrack wasn't an unfamiliar sight.

But this time the scene wasn't just in his imagination.

“In all honesty, he came in with a presence about him when he was a 2-year-old,” recalled Attard. “He was a big, big, handsome colt. I looked at him and everything about him stood out. He just had this really nice look to him. You'd take him out to gallop and he was classy from the start – all about business and a beautiful stride to him. You couldn't wait to see him race.”

At the end of the maiden optional claiming race, contested over 6 ½ furlongs on the Toronto oval's Tapeta, Red Hierarchy, under Justin Stein, was a six-length winner.

He stopped the teletimer in 1:16.14 and returned $13.70 for the win.

The victory, over a year in the making, was exactly how Attard had envisioned it.

“It was a big field the day he won. He passed the front-runner and then started opening up. I was speechless. It's such a good feeling that you knew what you had, but you trusted your gut, you stayed patient and you stuck to the plan. When he crossed the wire, I was happy for the horse. Everything that you had said all along, he just proved it. It was really rewarding that day.”

How Red Hierarchy made his way to the winner's circle on that summer afternoon is a coming-of-age tale, literally.

Bred and owned by Howard Walton's Norseman Stables, the horse that was foaled on March 25, 2017 caught the attention of Attard immediately.

Looks, with a mind to match, made Red Hierarchy a welcome addition to the trainer's barn.

“That's the thing that really puts into your head that a horse could be special,” said Attard. “You have a lot of horses that come through your barn with talent, especially 2-year-olds, but this horse, he had the mind to go with it. Whatever you asked him to do, he did it. He was just so kind and sweet right away. He had the mentality for it.”

For all that Red Hierarchy had going for him, he also had a few issues, albeit minor ones, to be dealt with.

Rushing the horse to the races wasn't an option for Attard.

“Even though we had him gelded, he was still too big for a 2-year-old. Mentally, he was there, but he had issues that all babies go through. And I thought if I push on this horse, I'm going to ruin him. It was just that realization that he's not meant to be a 2-year-old. I told Howie, even though it wasn't easy for him to hear, that the horse wasn't sore, but I think the best thing for this horse is to put him away. Right away, he said, 'If that's what you think is best, let's do that for him.' It's amazing how much he trusted me.”

That trust and Attard's game plan would eventually pay off handsomely.

But there were times, plenty of them, when it wasn't easy for him to be separated from Red Hierarchy.

“I'm taking care of my horses, and in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about him every day. I'm thinking about him being on the farm, growing up, turned out, and growing into himself. He had a lot of experience up until that point. He had three or four works for me as a 2-year-old and then we gave him the summer, fall and winter off. He was with Gayle Woods in Ocala, Florida, and as soon as he got down there, she told Howie how special this horse was. It was nice to hear the horse was continuing his maturation and progression to being a 3-year-old. He went down December last year. When she started working him – he had about four or five works before he came up to me, just easy ones – she told me he was something special.”

All of that confidence had Attard brimming and eager to welcome his young prospect back into the fold.

He counted down the days until Red Hierarchy made his way back from the Sunshine State to the Woodbine backstretch.

“I couldn't wait to get him off the van and when I did see him, that big, soft 2-year-old had turned into a nice-looking 3-year-old. All that baby fat turned into muscle. I couldn't wait to get going with him, but I realized that if we had given him all that time, you still needed to do things the right way. So, we worked him and he did everything so easily. You start bringing him to the gate, to the paddock, and he's doing everything the right way. All told, we had 13 works for him before he ran.”

The long wait was finally over on that July 12 afternoon.

“I didn't want to have the horse ready to run, I wanted to have him ready to win first time out. His last work before his race, it wasn't the time that mattered – it was the way he did it. He broke well, he settled, he finished well, and galloped out strongly. I knew the horse was ready to run.”

Red Hierarchy would go on to win his first three starts before testing open company in his three subsequent races.

At season's end, he fashioned a mark of three wins and three thirds from six outings.

“It's tough for Ontario-sired horses to step up to those ranks, but he ran with them, and didn't miss by much in those races. It's not easy for any horse to run six consistent races in a row, and to have three wins and three thirds. It's not making excuses, but 2020 was his 2-year-old season if you think about it, and he still showed he had talent.”

Attard will have to wait about four months before he's reunited with Red Hierarchy.

Now back in Florida, the soon-to-be 4-year-old will gear up for his sophomore season at the races.

At the very least, Attard can have some warm thoughts over the cold winter months.

“We're thinking there could be a nice Ontario-sired stakes race for him in 2021. He's going to have a nice winter. He's with Gayle Woods again and she called Howie the minute he got there. She was thrilled to see him. It's really exciting that we got him to the races and he made it through safe and sound. You just hope he can take that next step and be a nice 4-year-old.

“He's a full-brother to another one in my barn, Red Equinox, and I have the full-sister, Peace Sign. They've all won first time out for me now. So, keep them coming. We actually have another full-sister coming next year… she'll be a 2-year-old. The year after that, the one Howie is really excited about – he sent that mare [Majestic Red] to Mucho Macho Man, so we've got a colt coming. He told me that could be my Queen's Plate horse.”

Attard would love to deliver Walton a Plate score.

“Howie takes a lot of pride in the horses he breeds and standing his own stallion Signature Red, who's proved to be a very solid sire, is something he really enjoys seeing. A lot of his mares, he's bred them going back two or three generations and to breed them to his own stallion that he raced and now stands at stud is a labor of love for him. It's great to see the success Signature Red has had for Howie. Maybe one of these days – because of his maturity and abilities – Red Hierarchy could be a nice, older Ontario-sired sprinter for Howie. That's the exciting thing.”

So, too, is the thought of recording a special milestone with “Red.”

It's something Attard has thought about often over his training life.

“I've been in a lot of nice stakes win pictures with Howie's horses when was I assistant to my dad [Hall of Fame conditioner Sid Attard], but it would be nice to get one of my own.”

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Rafael Hernandez Edges Stein For First Woodbine Riding Title; Casse Leading Trainer For 12th Time; Barber Top Owner

The jockeys' race for the 2020 meet title at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, went right down to the wire, with Rafael Hernandez edging out Justin Stein in what's been a heated battle for top honors all season long. With more than double the wins of his closest competition, trainer Mark Casse ran away with his 12th Woodbine training title.

The abbreviated 2020 Woodbine meet, which was scheduled to run through December 13, concluded on Sunday, Nov. 22, after the Government of Ontario issued a minimum 28-day lockdown order for the region of Toronto to begin on Monday, Nov. 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season began on June 6 after its April 18 start date was delayed due to the initial spring COVID-19 lockdowns. The shortened season included 96 race days.

Hernandez and Casse were the hottest combination of the season and teamed up for one final victory before the meet concluded prematurely on Sunday, as 2-year-old filly Road to Romance broke her maiden in the third race. They combined to win a total of 37 races, including six stakes, from 117 starts.

Hernandez earned his first Woodbine jockey title with a total of 129 wins at the meet, besting Stein for the honors by just three wins, while his mounts earned in excess of $7.18 million. The 36-year-old reinsman, who moved to Woodbine full time during the summer of the 2016 season, finished top three with 154 wins in 2017 and second in the standings behind the now-retired Eurico Rosa Da Silva over the next two years. He accumulated 168 wins at Woodbine in 2018 behind Da Silva's record-breaking 237 victories, and followed up with a 164-win campaign in 2019.

Among his meet-leading 17 stakes wins this year, Hernandez earned his first Grade 1 victory in the E.P. Taylor Stakes with the Chad Brown-trained filly Etoile and teamed up with Canadian star Pink Lloyd, who won four stakes for trainer Robert Tiller and Entourage Stable.

Stein's highlights included winning the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile with the Kevin Attard-trained Starship Jubilee and partnering with multiple graded stakes winner Silent Poet, conditioned by Nicholas Gonzalez. His mounts earned in excess of $7.19 million. Kazushi Kimura, who won a pair of graded stakes on Saturday and wrapped up the meet by winning three of the final six races on Sunday, finished third in the jockey standings with 83 wins, ahead of Emma-Jayne Wilson (79) and Luis Contreras (76).

Casse topped the trainer leaderboard with 93 wins during the 2020 season and more than $7.13 million in purse earnings. Norm McKnight, who led all trainers for wins over the past three years, picked up a victory on closing day to own the second spot in the standings with 44 wins while Tiller finished third with 43. Kevin Attard, whose stable amassed $3.51 million in purse earnings, edged out Martin Drexler in fourth with 37 wins. Josie Carroll, who trained winners of 29 races, finished third in the money category with $3.49 million in earnings thanks in part to OLG Canadian Triple Crown stars Mighty Heart and Belichick.

Casse's Saturday score with Grade 2 Kennedy Road champion Ride a Comet, ridden by Patrick Husbands, marked his 17th stakes triumph of the Woodbine season. Another local highlight for the 59-year-old horseman included winning the Grade 1 Summer Stakes with Gretzky the Great, ridden by Kimura, for owners Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Barber was the leading money-winning owner of the meet with more than $1.56 million in purses followed by Stronach Stables ($1.24 million) and Live Oak Plantation ($1.14 million). Meanwhile, Bruno Schickedanz topped the win column with 35 successful starters, followed by Barber's 17 victories.

For more information and the latest updates on the 2021 Woodbine meet, visit Woodbine.com.

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Grey, Mazarine Stakes Shine Woodbine Spotlight On 2-Year-Olds

Nine 2-year-olds, including impressive first-time winner Haddassah, are set to contest Sunday's $125,000 Grey Stakes (G3), at Woodbine, on a card that also includes the $125,000 Mazarine Stakes (G3) for fillies.

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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