Diabolic Takes My Dear In Stakes Debut At Woodbine

Diabolic was full of run late in taking the $125,000 My Dear Stakes Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

The trio of Bid Once, Royal Engagement, and first-time starter Curlin Candy duked it out in the early stages of the 5 ½-furlong Tapeta race for 2-year-old fillies, but it was Diabolic, making her stakes debut, who delivered the knockout punch for trainer Mark Casse.

Despite acting up before the start, the daughter of Dark Angel, with Antonio Gallardo in the irons, hit her stride as soon as the gates opened and then watched the front-end proceedings from along the rail.

It was Bid Once who held a narrow advantage through an opening quarter-mile of :22.64, with Royal Engagement and Curlin Candy right alongside. Gallardo maintained a patient hand, sitting mid-pack, through a half-mile timed in :45.79, waiting for the right moment to make his move.

As the field turned from home, Diabolic was pivoted to the outside and instantly began to track down the leaders with each stride.

At the wire, the gray filly won by 2 ¼ lengths, with Curlin Candy in second and Royal Engagement third. Lois Len, the 9-5 choice, was fourth.

The final time was 1:04.15.

Diabolic, owned by D.J. Stable and Nexus Racing Club, arrived at the My Dear off a gutsy neck nod in her career bow at Gulfstream on May 20, rallying to win a five-furlong turf sprint.

“She was sitting down in the gate and I was a little nervous on how she'd be breaking,” said Gallardo, who celebrated his first Woodbine stakes win. “I don't see myself being on the lead or too close. I watched the replay when she won with Jaramillo [jockey, Emisael] in Gulfstream and I can see she is very smart. I wanted to be saving ground and following the speed. Really, she did everything perfect. When I pulled her in the clear, I asked and she gave me 100 percent. She's a nice filly.”

Bred by Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland, Diabolic paid $9.20 for the win.

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Stakes Triple Threat Highlights Saturday’s Action At Woodbine

A pair of $125,000 main added-money events for 2-year-olds, the My Dear and Victoria, along with the $100,000 turf Alywow Stakes, highlight Saturday afternoon's card of racing at Woodbine.

Eight rookie fillies will take to the Toronto oval Tapeta in the My Dear, a 5 ½-furlong sprint carded as race seven.

Entrants include Diabolic, a grey daughter of Dark Angel, who won her debut at Gulfstream in May. The Irish-bred filly is owned by D.J. Stable LLC and Nexus Racing Club, and trained by Mark Casse. The Hall of Fame conditioner also sends out Lois Len, an Ontario-bred daughter of Hunter's Bay. Royal Engagement, also a first-time winner, will make her stakes debut for trainer Timothy Hamm, and owner Perry Harrison. Bid Once, a daughter of California Chrome, will look to build off a strong maiden-breaking score in her debut on June 19.

One race later, eight other first-year rivals square off on the Woodbine main in the 5 ½-furlong Victoria.

Concealed Carry, trained and owned by Barb Minshall, looks to make it two consecutive trips to the winner's circle after taking his debut on June 20. The son of Competitive Edge was bred by Terrazas Thoroughbreds LLC. Mowins will make the trek from Indiana Grand to contest his first added-money event. Sporting a record of 1-1-0 from two starts, the son of Mohaymen won his most recent start on June 15. One Timer, trained by Larry Rivelli, arrives at the Victoria off a sizzling curtain-raising effort at Arlington, winning the 5-furlong main track race by 12 ½-lengths. Richard Ravin and Patricia's Hope LLC own the Kentucky-bred son of Trappe Shot.

The Alywow, named in honor of the Kinghaven great, who was named Canada's Horse of the Year in 1994, kicks off the added-money action in race three.

Six 3-year-old filly hopefuls will line up in the gate for the 6 ½-furlong trek over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Lady War Machine, trained by Canadian Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll, heads into the Alywow off a sharp maiden-breaking performance on July 3. The daughter of Street Boss is owned by Mark Dodson. Star Shoot Stakes champ Can't Buy Love will make her second straight start at Woodbine. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the daughter of Twirling Candy is owned by Larry Johnson. Multiple stakes placed Honey Pants, sporting a record of 2-3-0 from seven starts, looks to deliver her connections, trainer Christophe Clement, and owners Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister, her first stakes crown. Hard Street, owned by Al & Bill Ulwelling, aims for her second straight win after a maiden-breaking victory on July 8. The daughter of Hard Spun is trained by Kevin Attard, and was bred by Tall Oaks Farm.

First-race post time for Saturday's 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action with HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 MY DEAR STAKES

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Diabolic (IRE) – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

2 – Jimmy is a Breeze – Omar Moreno – Alex McPherson

3 – Royal Engagement – Kazushi Kimura – Timothy Hamm

4 – Lois Len – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

5 – Bid Once – Steven Bahen – Ian Howard

6 – Gorman – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kelsey Danner

7 – Curlin Candy – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo

8 – Guileful – Simon Husbands – Nathan Squires

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 VICTORIA STAKES

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Ultimate Answer – Larry Munoz – Martin Hinckson

2 – Concealed Carry – David Moran – Barb Minshall

3 – Mowins – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Lauer

4 – Twenty Four Mamba – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

5 – Romantic Gamble – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

6 – One Timer – E.T. Baird – Larry Rivelli

7 – Summer Sunset (S) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – William Tharrenos

8 – Feelthebeat – Sunny Singh – Norm McKnight

FIELD FOR THE $100,000 ALYWOW STAKES

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Lady War Machine – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll

2 – La Libertee – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

3 – Can't Buy Love – Justin Stein – Michael Trombetta

4 – Honey Pants – Kazushi Kimura – Christophe Clement

5 – Hard Street – Omar Moreno – Kevin Attard

6 – Dirty Dangle – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

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Joy’s Rocket, Forester’s Turn Prove Best In Woodbine Stakes

Team Hanley's undefeated two-year-old filly Joy's Rocket was impressive in her stakes debut at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, taking off in the $100,000 My Dear Stakes to win by 2 3/4 lengths under Luis Contreras.

Joy's Rocket launched to the lead in the 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta test and clocked fractions of :21.94 and :45.44 while prompted by Rocket Reload. The Steve Asmussen trainee shook off her main rival in the stretch and won her first stakes outing by nearly three lengths in 1:05.10.

Favored Road to Romance pressed three-wide early but settled into stalking position behind the front-runners and then made a bid moving into the stretch to get up for second-place, with Rotary rallying to her outside for third.

Emmeline rounded out the superfecta with Rocket Reload, supplement Queen Rhonda and Silent Mamba completing the run down.

Joy's Rocket was the 8-5 second choice after winning at first asking over Churchill Downs's dirt track in sloppy conditions on June 28. Today, she returned $5.50 to win.

“She was very professional pretty much the whole way. From the beginning of the race to the end, she was so professional and I was very confident with her,” praised Contreras after taking his second My Dear title (his first was with Dream It Is in 2017). “I saw the race at Churchill when she won. It was a muddy track and she just went to the lead. I wasn't too worried because horses with this kind of talent, I think it's easy to adjust to whichever track they go.”

Bred in Florida by Weston Thoroughbreds Training & Sales, the Anthony's Cross-Queenie's Pride filly is now two-for-two to start her career.

Forester's Turn Triumphs in Greenwood
A late decision to enter Forester's Turn in Saturday's $150,000 Greenwood Stakes Presented by Stella Artois at Woodbine proved to be profitable for Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller and owner Rolph Davis.

Supplemented to the six-furlong turf event for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds after training well following a recent victory at Woodbine, Forester's Turn put forth a courageous effort to win the afternoon's co-feature.

Forester's Turn and Celebratory waged war on the front-end racing noses apart through a :22.61 first quarter and half-mile in :44.83. They continued to duel into the stretch with the stalkers, Forester's Fortune, 3-5 favorite Artemus Citylimits and Barilko, fanning out wide.

Digging in down the lane, Forester's Turn pulled ahead of Celebratory mid-stretch and then held off Forester's Fortune in the final furlong to prevail by a half-length in 1:07.91.

Artemus Citylimits edged by Celebratory 2 1/2 lengths behind for the show dough while Last American Exit and Barilko completed the order of finish.

Sent postward as the 7-2 second choice, Forester's Turn paid $9.90 to win and combined with Forester's Fortune for an Old Forester exacta worth $48.50.

“He's very game, this horse, and that young fella that rode him, he's very game too,” said Tiller of rising star Kazushi Kimura, who reined home his second stakes winner of the meet. “And he's young. It's a great thing to be young. I wish I was young again, but I'm not.

“This is a nice horse,” added Tiller, who co-owned dam Eff Bee Eye with longtime partner Davis when the mare won the 2014 Nandi Stakes. “At the end of the day, he's got heart. All is well, everything went well.”

The homebred gelding has now won five of his seven career starts and more than $200,000 in earnings.

Live Thoroughbred racing continues on Sunday afternoon with the $100,000 Victoria Stakes headlining an 11-race program that gets underway at 1 p.m.

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