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Sir Winston Wins Stretch Battle To Take Valedictory At Woodbine

Sir Winston won the 2019 Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and Sunday at Woodbine he had no trouble covering that distance again, taking the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes. The G1 winner battled fellow Mark Casse trainee Frosted Over down the stretch at the Toronto, Ontario racetrack, taking back the lead in the last jumps before the wire.

In a crowded field of 14, Jelgo and Collective Force were the fastest out of the gate before Collective Force took over down the stretch the first time. War Bomber streaked to the lead on the far outside as they approached the first turn, getting out to a three-length advantage around the bend and onto the backstretch. Behind him were Collective Force and Frosted Over, who stalked the moderate pace with fractions of :24.78 for the first quarter, :50.36 for the half mile, and 1:16.23 for six furlongs. As the field approached the far turn, Frosted Over made his move for the lead, Patrick Husbands and Sir Winston following.

Around the far turn, the Casse trainees were on even terms, with Frosted Over on the rail and Sir Winston on his outside. They stayed even as they straightened into the Woodbine stretch, with Frosted Over showing a head in front as the two battled down the straight. Sir Winston was not done, digging in and pulling past the 3-year-old in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, Sir Winston was three-quarters of a length in front of Frosted Over, with Collective Force holding on for third and Burning Man fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:31.51.

Sir Winston paid $5.30, $2.90, and $2.80. Frosted Over paid $4.70 and $4.40. Collective Force paid $10.60.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston is by Awesome Again out of the Afleet Alex mare La Gran Bailadora, a G3 stakes winner. The 5-year-old horse was a $50,000 RNA consigned by Denali Stud at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Valedictory, Sir Winston has two wins in four starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 19 starts.

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Mighty Heart Holds Off Sir Winston To Win Autumn Stakes At Woodbine

Canada's one-eyed wonder and 2020 Horse of the Year Mighty Heart showed exactly why he has that name with a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine. The 2020 Queen's Plate winner held off a late run from 2019 Belmont Stakes victor Sir Winston to take the 1 1/16-mile stakes by a half-length.

Starting from the far outside of the field of eight, jockey Patrick Husbands hustled Mighty Heart to the lead, with Primo Touch and Embolden following in second and third. Around the first turn and down the backstretch, Mighty Heart was a length to the good, running easily on the lead putting in fractions of :23.86, :47.23, and 1:11.36.

Entering the far turn, the field started to make their move, but Mighty Heart was steadfast in the lead. Sir Winston, sixth early, ran into traffic on the turn, going to the outside in the stretch to find a clear running lane. Special Forces and Halo Again were also challenging Mighty Heart in the stretch, Sir Winston driving late, but the 2020 Horse of the Year held the race safe. He was a half-length in front of Sir Winston at the wire, with Special Forces third and Halo Again fourth.

The final time was 1:42.51.

Mighty Heart paid $9.20, $4.00, and $2.30. Sir Winston paid $2.60 and $2.10. Special Forces paid $2.20.

Bred in Ontario by his owner Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart is a 4-year-old colt by Dramedy out of the City Place mare Emma's Bullseye. He is trained by Josie Carroll. With his win in the G2 Autumn, Mighty Heart has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of six wins in 15 starts.

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Hicksy, Aubrieta Win Juvenile Stakes At Woodbine Saturday

In stakes action at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, Hicksy took the $130,000 Display Stakes, while Aubrieta won the $140,250 Glorious Song Stakes.

A bay son of Hootenanny, Hicksy, under Antonio Gallardo, tracked 6-5 choice Ironstone through a quarter in :23.08 and a half in :46.10, before turning up the pressure around the turn for home in the seven-furlong main track race for two-year-old colts and geldings.

The duo slugged it out down the stretch with Hicksy taking over late, going on to notch a three-quarter length win in a time of 1:23.38. Ironstone was second and Optigogo was third.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Lani Bloodstock LLC, the Kentucky-bred colt won his second straight race and notched his first stakes crown in what was his first added-money appearance.

“He was just kind of an unassuming little horse, just kind of a straightforward horse,” recalled owner Donato Lanni. “He just looked real kind and classy. I've been active in Kentucky, but I'm from Canada, from Montreal, and I always wanted to come back here and have some horses to run. I have a lot of friends and family in Toronto and it's just great to come back and hang out with my people.”

After a troubled fourth in his career bow on September 12 at Woodbine, Hicksy broke his maiden on October 3, in a race also contested at the Toronto oval.

“He's come a long way,” praised Attard. “We always thought highly of him. When he came to me from Kentucky, Donato said, 'This horse is really eager, he's been showing promise.' When he got here, he had a few little hiccups, just kind of baby stuff. His first race, we were expecting a little more out of him, but he kind of pulled a shoe off and I think that was a good enough excuse. Obviously, his last start, he put it together with an impressive win.”

Hicksy, bred by Richard Forbush, paid $6.60 for the Display victory.

Aubrieta, bred and owned by Conrad Farms, was back in the winner's circle, this time in the Glorious Song Stakes.

Sent on her way at 6-1 in the seven-furlong main track race for two-year-old fillies, the Mark Casse trainee was content to watch the early leaders duke it out before delivering her knockout punch.

Fulminate and Marie MacKay battled out on the front end, leading the field through opening splits of :22.83 and :45.55. Aubrieta, under patient handling from Patrick Husbands, was positioned fourth, well within striking distance of the top two.

When Husbands gave the Ontario-bred daughter of Speightster her cue, the bay responded willingly and sprinted away from her foes down the stretch, crossing the wire a two-length winner. Howdyoumakeurmoney rallied to secure second, a neck in front of Chocolate Addiction.

The final time was 1:22.85.

Aubrieta, who won her debut on September 11, was second in the Shady Well Stakes on October 8.

“You miss the break and Justin (jockey Stein, aboard Marie MacKay) got everything his way,” said Husbands, of the Shady Well. “But she showed me after the race that she was the best horse in the race. She galloped out like the winner. I called Mark after the race and said, 'Boss, she wanted to win so bad. She still thinks she won.'”

Husbands is confident Aubrieta can stretch out with ease.

“That (two turns) is what she wants to go.”

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Carroll: Any Day Mighty Heart Races Is A Good Day

Hall of Fame trainer Josie Carroll said she is looking forward to Sunday's Grade 3 $150,000 Durham Cup at Woodbine because any time the much-loved Mighty Heart is in to race is a good day for her and the horse's owner/breeder Larry Cordes.

“We're always excited when he runs,” Carroll said of the horse who sports a career record of 5-2-2 in 13 starts. “He's a horse that goes over and gives you everything he has every time, so you know he's going to go over there and show up.”

Mighty Heart, the one-eyed wonder who stormed to victory in the 2020 Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales en route to Canada's Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male honors, comes into the Durham Cup off a second-place finish to Tap It to Win on September 11 at Woodbine in the Grade 3 $150,000 Seagram Cup.

Carroll's assessment of that performance?

“I think the horse that won got away with an easy pace and nobody chased him,” she said, adding Mighty Heart, a son of Dramedy-Emma's Bullseye, is primed and ready for the rematch with Tap It to Win in the Durham Cup. “(Mighty Heart is) his happy self. He's in good order.”

The Durham Cup is the third race on a stakes card that also includes the 85th running of the $250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes (race 8) and the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (Grade 3, race 9).

Mighty Heart has drawn post one in the five-horse Durham Cup field and will be ridden by Patrick Husbands. Tap It to Win, trained by Mark Casse, has post three. Casse also sends out the second richest horse in the field, Sir Winston, from post two. Halo Again (post four) and Special Forces (post five) round out the field.

But there's no doubt that Mighty Heart is the media darling and fan favorite in the group.

“It's a lot of fun and it's wonderful for the owners,” Carroll said. “They've never had a horse like this and they're enjoying every minute of it.”

FIELD FOR THE DURHAM CUP

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Mighty Heart – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll

2 – Sir Winston – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

3 – Tap It to Win – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

4 – Halo Again – Shaun Bridgmohan – Steve Asmussen

5 – Special Forces – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

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The Grade 3 $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes drew a field of six, including Casse starters Art of Almost (post one, Emma-Jayne Wilson), Crystal Glacier (post two, Kazushi Kimura) and Skygaze (Husbands, post six), winner of the $100,000 Belle Mahone Stakes on September 12 at Woodbine.

Set at 1 1/16-miles on the Tapeta, the race for fillies & mares, three-year-olds and upwards, was first run in 1979.

La Voyageuse took the first two edition for owner Jean-Louis Levesque, trainer Yonnie Star and jockey Paul Souter.

FIELD FOR THE ONTARIO MATRON

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Art of Almost – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

2 – Crystal Glacier – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

3 – Afleet Katherine – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

4 – Saratoga Vision (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Alexander Patykewich

5 – Juxtapose (S) – Gary Boulanger – Steve Owens

6 – Skygaze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

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