Woodbine Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $373 To Winners

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 featuring action from Belmont, Woodbine, and Delaware Park paid $373.25 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $112,680.

Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario started the sequence, as the favorite Belichick bested Tecumseh's War by a head to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance tilt over the all-weather track in Race 7. Trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by Kazushi Kimura, Belichick returned $3.30 on a $2 win bet, completing the course in 1:44.40.

Belmont hosted the second leg, with Wolfie's Dynaghost going gate-to-wire to win an allowance optional claiming race going 1 1/16 miles in Race 8. Moved off the turf to the main track, the race saw the Tom Albertrani trained Wolfie's Dynaghost, a half-brother to stablemate Sadler's Joy, hit the wire in 1:43.17 paying $10.80. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. was in the irons.

Delaware Park in Wilmington, De. hosted the first stakes of the wager as heavy favorite Crazy Beautiful won the $300,000 Grade 3 Delaware Oaks for sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the main track in Race 8. The Ken McPeek trainee, ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, cruised to a six-length win in a final time of 1:46.33. Crazy Beautiful returned $2.60.

Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. also got in on the stakes action, as Truth Hurts topped a pared-down four-horse field in the $100,000 Perfect Sting for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up in Race 9. Originally scheduled for one mile on the turf, the contest was moved to the main track due to heavy rain. Truth Hurts, entered by trainer and co-owner Chad Summers for the main track only, capitalized on the opportunity winning by 5 3/4 lengths over Piedi Bianchi in a final time of 1:37.48. With Luis Saez picking up the mount, Truth Hurts won her first race of her 4-year-old campaign, paying $18.

Advocating edged Tappitty Tappitty by a neck in the finale a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance optional claimer, in Race 9 at Woodbine to conclude the wager. Trained by Michael Stidham and ridden by Gary Boulanger, Advocating hit the wire in 1:44.69 and paid $8.30.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Souper Escape Is Super In Second Trillium Win At Woodbine

Defending champion Souper Escape just held off Crystal Glacier at the wire to win the $150,000 Grade 3 Trillium Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack.

It was a 1-2 finish for Sovereign Award-winning owner Live Oak Plantation, which also bred the winner.

Jockey Luis Contreras was aboard Souper Escape for her front-running journey in the 1-1/16-mile main track feature for fillies and mares 4 years old and up.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, Canada's reigning Champion Older Main Track Female was sharp leaving the gate and quickly established the lead into the first turn. She clocked fractions of :24.24 for the quarter-mile, :48.42 at the half-mile mark, and 1:11.54 for three quarters while turning back the stalking Red Cabernet.

Souper Escape continued to lead the way into the stretch, with Skygaze looming outside of Merveilleux. However, Crystal Glacier, who followed the leader throughout, proved to be the biggest threat with a late lunge down the lane to make it into the win photo under Kazushi Kimura.

“It was close, but I thought I had a pretty good chance to win the race,” said Contreras after getting the nod in the photo finish. The winning time was 1:43.12.

“By the way my filly was acting in the post parade, I knew she was going to be sharp. So I knew she was going to be on the lead no matter what. I was just trying to make her relax to have some horse at the end.”

The five-year-old Medaglia d'Oro-Cry and Catch Me mare, who won the Trillium and seven-furlong Grade 3 Seaway Stakes in back-to-back fashion last summer at Woodbine, improved her lifetime record to 7-2-3 from 20 starts.

Souper Escape paid $9.20, $4.40, and $3.80 across the board for winning her season's debut. She combined with the favored Crystal Glacier ($3.70, $2.80) for a 2-1 exacta that returned $30.10 for a $2 ticket. Skygaze ($4) finished 2-1/4 lengths behind in third.

Mark Casse trainees finished second through fourth, with Heavenly Curlin closing from the backfield to complete the superfecta. Merveilleux was fifth, with Royal Wedding, Brassy, and Red Cabernet completing the order.

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Casse-Trained Trio Top Saturday’s Trillium Stakes Field At Woodbine

Conditioner Mark Casse has three chances, in the form of Crystal Glacier, Heavenly Curlin and Skygaze, to capture his third Grade 3 Trillium Stakes title, Saturday at Woodbine.

Having won the 2013 and 2019 editions of the Trillium with Sisterly Love and Miss Mo Mentum, respectively, Casse will look to complete the stakes hat trick in the 1 1/16-mile, $150,000 main track event, with three serious contenders.

Crystal Glacier, a 4-year-old daughter of Curlin, has assembled a record of three wins and a second from nine career starts for Live Oak Plantation.

Bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables, the dark bay has a pair of score in her past three races, back-to-back victories coming at Turfway Park this February.

“She's another one that ran well at Turfway,” offered Casse. “We tried there this year and actually had a very good meet. The horses ran well there, including her.”

The Trillium represents the first stakes appearance for Crystal Glacier, who won her career bow on August 9, 2019 at Ellis Park.

“She's a very nice horse and she really does like it at Woodbine.”

Heavenly Curlin, also a daughter of Curlin, will no doubt appreciate a return to the Woodbine Tapeta.

Owned by Gary Barber and John Oxley, the 4-year-old bay rhymed off three consecutive triumphs at the Toronto oval in 2020, including a 5 ¾-length romp in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes on November 7.

Bred by Elevage II, LLC, Heavenly Curlin arrives at the Trillium off a fifth and ninth in two grass starts at Gulfstream.

She sports a record of 3-0-1 from seven career races with all three wins coming in her three Woodbine engagements.

“It was a tremendous effort in the Maple Leaf last year. We took her down to Florida and ran her in some tough spots. She just doesn't like the grass as much as Tapeta.”

Skygaze, who has contested five of her nine career starts at Woodbine, returns to Canada on a three-race win streak that began last fall in Ontario.

After rallying to secure a neck nod in a seven-furlong main track allowance race on October 3, Skygaze took her talents to Turfway Park where the 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah made a late charge to eke out another neck win on December 10.

Owned by Tracy Farmer and bred in Kentucky by Normandy Farm, the bay was 'much the best' in taking a 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event by three lengths.

Skygaze brings a record of 4-0-2 from nine races into the Trillium.

“She won the Mazarine [at Woodbine] last year, but was disqualified,” noted Casse. “It took her awhile to get on track, but she ran really well at Turfway. We had planned on running her in a stake on Jeff Ruby Steaks day, but she didn't get in. She was on the AE's and didn't get in. So, we've been sitting and waiting for this spot for a long time. She's been training very well.”

Casse believes any of his Trillium starters could take all the spoils.

“They all like to win. They're all solid fillies and it wouldn't shock me for any of them to win.”

The Trillium is Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 $150,000 TRILLIUM

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Crystal Glacier – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

2 – Souper Escape – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta

3 – Red Cabernet – Steven Bahen – Ian Black

4 – Royal Wedding – Simon Husbands – Nathan Squires

5 – Merveilleux – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

6 – Brassy – Daisuke Fukumoto – Eoin Harty

7 – Skygaze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

8 – Heavenly Curlin – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

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Path To The Plate: ‘Very Professional’ Tidal Forces Showing All The Right Signs

It was a victory Gail Cox perhaps didn't quite see coming a mile and a sixteenth away, but one that was a game changer for the trainer and the striking Sam-Son Farm homebred.

The odds, 6-1 on the Woodbine infield toteboard, suggested Tidal Forces had a decent shot at winning the allowance optional claiming main track race this past Saturday at the Toronto oval.

Cox also figured he had a reasonable chance at taking the spoils.

“He ran so well in his first start [April 10, at Gulfstream] I really like him. Running that first race at Gulfstream, it's tough there. He ran so well and it was a very impressive effort.”

As was his encore at Woodbine.

At the end of the 8.5-furlong main track race, the 3-year-old son of Malibu Moon crossed the wire a half-length winner under Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Although Cox wasn't certain Tidal Forces, who was unraced at 2, could get up in time for the victory, Wilson had no doubt about the outcome.

“It impressed me that he settled so nicely. Emma said he had the measure of them the whole way. When they were turning for home and down the lane, I thought, 'Is he going to get there?' When I talked to Emma after the race, she said she knew they would. I thought, maybe, he wouldn't have enough speed for there, but I think he did. In hindsight, when you watch the replay, you could see that he did have the measure of them the whole time.”

While there are still key races to be run ahead of the Queen's Plate (August 22), the big picture has now come into sharper focus for Tidal Forces' connections.

Listed at 50-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook, the Ontario-bred has now stamped himself as a legitimate Plate contender.

Aside from his physical talents, Tidal Forces' demeanor has impressed Cox from day one.

“He's a pretty cool guy. He eats well and he's pretty easy to deal with. He walks over the paddock calmly. He's just very professional in everything he does. There are times when you see little signs of immaturity, losing focus a little bit, but I'm really happy with everything when it comes to him.”

Cox doesn't dial back that high praise even if Tidal Forces can be, at times, somewhat laid back.

“When you're walking out to the track with him, you'd almost think he's lazy. He kind of wanders out and wanders back. But when you turn around to gallop him, he's quite powerful. And that's just the type of horse you love to have, one who can turn the dial from laid-back to all business.”

Those aren't the only things that have stuck with Tidal Forces.

Although he no longer showcases a particular look, the sobriquet bestowed upon him has stayed.

“We call him 'Brutus,' said Cox with a laugh. “As a young horse, he had this huge neck, a big, fat, wide neck. As he's grown up, he's certainly lengthened out a bit and become much more refined. He's really quite beautiful.”

A horse that looks to be a bona fide Plate contender.

That said, Cox, in search of her first win in the $1 million classic, will endeavor to rein in her emotions as the road to the big day continues to intensify.

“I'm really happy we got to run him at Woodbine because he is going to need a couple of races now that we are planning towards running him in the Plate. He's got to get some experience. But after these two races, it makes you confident in taking the next step.”

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