Ontario Derby, Ontario Damsel Highlight Sophomores On Sunday’s Card At Woodbine

The Grade 3 $150,000 Ontario Derby, for 3-year-olds, and the $125,000 Ontario Damsel, for 3-year-old fillies, co-headline Sunday's 10-race card at Woodbine.

Riptide Rock, a son of Point of Entry, heads into the 1 1/8-mile main track Ontario Derby off a runner-up effort to British Royalty (who'll also run) in the Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown series, on Oct. 3.

The Stronach Stables' homebred, trained by Canadian Hall of Fame inductee Sid Attard, has assembled a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts.

His most recent win came in a six-furlong Tapeta race on July 16 at the Toronto oval. After a narrow miss in the Queen's Plate – Riptide Rock was second, a head back of Safe Conduct – the gelding was third in the turf Toronto Cup, before earning silver in the Breeders' Stakes.

“He's doing very, very good,” said Attard. “He's coming into the race in good order. I'm very happy with him.”

Riptide Rock launched his career on Oct. 17, 2020, sweeping to the front in mid-stretch to take the six-furlong turf dash by 1 ½-lengths as the 2-1 choice, in what was his lone 2-year-old appearance.

The chestnut then headed south for his next four starts, three at Oaklawn, one at Monmouth, before arriving back at Woodbine ahead of his July victory over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

“I like everything [about the horse],” said Attard. “He's a very easy horse to train, always does what you ask of him, and always tries every time. It's a nice horse to be around. He's always there whenever he races. You know he will always try, and he will always give his best.”

It's exactly what Attard is expecting from Riptide Rock on Sunday.

“I think this distance will be perfect for him.”

Field Pass, owned by Three Diamonds Farm, and trained by Michael Maker, took the 2020 Ontario Derby in a time of 1:48.35.

Seven sophomore fillies, including Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser champ Munnyfor Ro, are set to contest the Ontario Damsel, a 1 1/16-mile main track event.

Owned by Raroma Stable, the daughter of Munnings is 3-2-2 from 11 starts.

The chestnut, to be ridden by Justin Stein, heads into the Ontario Damsel off a victory in the Wonder Where Stakes, third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, on Oct. 2.

Other hopefuls include Gold for Kitten (4-0-1, from 5 starts), Alywow Stakes winner Lady War Machine, and multiple graded stakes placed Oyster Box.

First post time is 12:55 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com or the Dark Horse Bets app.

$150,000 ONTARIO DERBY

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

2 – Dolder Grand – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

3 – British Royalty – Luis Contreras – Barbara Minshall

4 – Frosted Over – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

5 – Riptide Rock – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Sid Attard

6 – Master of the Ring (S) – Justin Stein – Michael Stidham

7 – Swot Analysis (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

8 – Hit the Point – Shaun Bridgmohan – Vito Armata

$125,000 ONTARIO DAMSEL

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

2 – Salty as Can Be – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

3 – Gold for Kitten – Kazushi Kimura – Brendan Walsh

4 – Lady War Machine – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll

5 – Seasons – Shaun Bridgmohan – James Toner

6 – Oyster Box – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Graham Motion

7 – Sweet Souper Sweet – Eswan Flores – Michael Trombetta

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War Bomber Takes Toronto Cup At Woodbine

Over a mile on the E.P. Taylor turf course, War Bomber stalked the early pace, split horses, and took over the lead in deep stretch to take the Toronto Cup at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario. Recently claimed from Mark Casse's barn by trainer Norman McKnight, the Irish bred gelding followed up his victory in an August claiming race over the same track with another winning performance.

Breaking from post three, jockey Shawn Bridgmohan settled the 4-year-old son of War Front on the rail behind the front three early, as Azzurro lead the field of nine down the backstretch with Barnegat Light and Gretzky the Great following. Into the far turn, Bridgmohan moved off the rail, but soon ran into traffic, forced to wait for the stretch to make his move.

Into the Woodbine straight, War Bomber found running room, split horses, and accelerated, passing Gretzky the Great and a surging Artie's Storm to win by two lengths. Artie's Storm was second and Riptide Rock beat Gretzky the Great for fourth.

The final time for the one-mile Toronto Cup was 1:34.14. Find this race's chart here.

War Bomber paid $41.30, $15.70, and $7.20. Artie's Storm paid $4.20 and $3.00. Riptide Rock paid $3.20.

Bred by Coolmore, War Bomber is out of the Indian Ridge mare Sun Shower. He is owned by Bruno Schickedanz. War Bomber improves to three wins in five lifetime starts.

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Canadian Champion Gretzky The Great Headlines Sunday’s Toronto Cup

The $125,000 Toronto Cup and the $100,000 Belle Mahone co-headline Sunday's 11-race card at Woodbine.

Nine 3-year-olds, a group that includes Artie's Storm, Gretzky the Great and Riptide Rock, will travel one mile on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in the Toronto Cup.

Owned and trained by Paul Buttigieg, Artie's Storm will chase his first added-money score in his third stakes appearance.

A son of We Miss Artie-Tiz Stormy Now, Artie's Storm heads into the Toronto Cup off a third-place effort in the Greenwood Stakes, just a head back of winner Gretzky the Great, who he'll meet again on Sunday.

Artie's Storm rallied stoutly in the Greenwood, contested at seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor on August 14.

David Moran, who has been aboard for all five of the dark bay's starts, once again gets the call.

“He's a lovely horse,” said the multiple stakes winning jockey. “He loves the turf, but I don't think the surface matters at all with him. He settles lovely in every race and he always tries. The distance for this race won't be an issue for him because he's very relaxed in the race and he loves the turf. He's just a nice horse.”

Moran handed out top marks to the gelding for the determined Greenwood showing.

“He just got beat. He just missed second by a head bob, where he was in front just before and just after the wire. It was hard-luck not to be second to Gretzky the Great last time.”

Artie's Storm debuted last October at the Toronto oval, rallying to finish third, a neck away from taking top spot in the 5 ½-furlong Tapeta race.

Bred by Sunrise Farm, Artie's Storm broke his maiden next time out in his three-year-old debut in a main track race over seven panels on the main track.

After a runner-up result in the Queenston Stakes, he was back in the winner's circle, recording a half-length score in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on July 24.

“When I came back after that first race, I said, 'Paul, you've got a really nice horse here,'” recalled Moran. “I told my agent all winter not to miss that horse. He's just improved every race. He's training really well coming into this race. He's a lovely horse to be around and has a great attitude.”

Multiple stakes winner and Canada's champion 2-year-old male Gretzky the Great goes after his fifth career win his ninth start. Bred by Anderson Farms Ontario, the son of Nyquist is trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Riptide Rock, who finished a hard-charging second to Safe Conduct in the Queen's Plate on August 22, will return to the turf for the first time since his career bow last October, when he was a 2 ½-length winner in a six-furlong race on the E.P. Taylor. The Stronach homebred is trained by hall of famer Sid Attard.

Also on Sunday, seven starters will go postward in the Belle Mahone Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile main track event for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward. Trainer Mark Casse sends out the trio of Art of Almost, Crystal Glacier and Skygaze.

The Woodbine Turf Endurance Series continues with a 1 ½-mile Inner Turf race. Mambointheforest, at 79-1, took the first leg, at 1 3/8-miles on the Inner, for trainer Ron Sadler and owner Phillip Lanning. The series concludes with a 1 ¾-mile marathon on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 3.

The Toronto Cup is scheduled as the eighth race on Sunday's 1:10 p.m. program. The Duchess is slated as race nine.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com.

$125,000 TORONTO CUP STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Riptide Rock – Justin Stein – Sid Attard

2 – Artie's Storm – David Moran – Paul Buttigieg

3 – War Bomber (IRE) – Shaun Bridgmohan – Norm McKnight

4 – Derzkii – Jason Hoyte – Carlos Grant

5 – My Sea Cottage (IRE) (S) – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

6 – Lenny K – Antonio Gallardo – Kevin Attard

7 – Azzurro – Eswan Flores – John Mattine

8 – Barnegat Light – Pablo Morales – Timothy Hamm

9 – Gretzky the Great – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

$100,000 BELLE MAHONE STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Crystal Glacier – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

2 – No Mo Lady (S) – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta

3 – Saratoga Vision – Jeffrey Alderson – Alexander Patykewich

4 – Skygaze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

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

6 – Fate Factor – Rafael Hernandez – Chris Block

7 – Antigone – Daisuke Fukumoto – Zeljko Krcmar

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