woodbine | Horse Racing Free Tips

Casse Saddles Half of Mazarine Field

Multiple Sovereign Award winner Mark Casse sends out four of the nine runners in Sunday's GIII Mazarine S. at Woodbine. Leading the quartet is Conrad Farms homebred Aubrieta (Speightster). A debut winner sprinting at this oval Sept. 11, the bay was second in the state-bred Shady Well S. Oct. 8 and returned to winning ways in the Glorious Song S. here 22 days later.

Live Oak's $550,000 OBSMAR buy Souper Hoity Toity (Uncle Mo) graduated at second asking on the grass here Oct. 1 and won an optional claimer on the local synthetic Nov. 6.

Spruce Stable's Mrs. Barbara (Bodemeister) may have just earned her diploma, but has already competed well in stakes company. Off the board in her turf sprint debut at Churchill June 17, she was second in a maiden special on the Woodbine synthetic a month later and completed the trifecta in the grass Catch a Glimpse S. here Aug. 21. Fourth in the turfy GI Natalma S. here Sept. 19, the dark bay rallied to victory in a two-turn maiden special weight on the local synthetic Nov. 7.

Rounding out the Casse quartet is Queen Judith (Empire Maker), who receives Lasix for the first time here. Closing strongly to take his debut at Kentucky Downs Sept. 5, the $260,000 OBSOPN purchase could only manage 10th last out in Keeneland's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 13.

Jonathan Thomas looks to upset the Casse crew with Kanta (Into Mischief). Fourth to Aubrieta in her Woodbine unveiling Sept. 11, the bay graduated next out when extended to two turns here Oct. 9.

Moira (Ghostzapper) earned her diploma and black-type badge in one foul swoop, rallying from well back to register a decisive score in the track-and-trip Princess Elizabeth S. Oct. 23.

The post Casse Saddles Half of Mazarine Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Attard Has Solid Options In Both The Grey And Mazarine Stakes On Sunday’s Card

A pair of $150,000 rookie stakes, the Grade 3 Grey and Grade 3 Mazarine, highlight Sunday's 12-race card at Woodbine.

The 1 1/16-mile Mazarine has attracted a field of nine 2-year-old fillies, including Moira, a daughter of Ghostzapper who had a stellar debut in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes on Oct. 23 at the Toronto oval.

With jockey Justin Stein at the controls, the Adena Springs-bred miss put in a stunning rally to win going away by 4 ¼-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile tilt. The final time was 1:44.63.

Trained by Kevin Attard for owners X-Men Racing LLC, Madaket Racing LLC and SF Racing LLC, Moira managed to surpass the conditioner's lofty pre-race expectations.

“She's a very nice filly,” said Attard, who is enjoying another prosperous campaign at the Toronto oval. “I was very keen even before we ran her. Obviously, to be running in a stake and going two-turns first-time out is a bit of a risky undertaking, but I thought it was a very calculated risk. I was confident in her and it worked out really well. I thought she looked pretty impressive. This race, the Mazarine, is open company and a big step up in class but she's trained really well in the interim and I'm really excited to see her continue to develop and possibly be a very nice horse.”

High-profile bloodstock agent and owner Donato Lanni was equally impressed by Moira's curtain-raising performance.

“I was not necessarily expecting that,” admitted Lanni. “I was at the Yearling Sale [in Kentucky] and we stopped looking at the horses and went into the bar there to watch her. I was really nervous because I didn't know a whole lot about her, but Kevin mentioned that the race was coming up and he didn't want to run her short. When he told me he wanted to run her in the stake, I was initially thinking, 'Are you kidding me?' He told me not to worry. That was it.

“When I was watching the race and saw her make that move, I was stunned for a bit after that. She was really impressive. Kevin is a good friend of mine and I've known him for 20-plus years, and he's a hell of a trainer. Him knowing about Moira ahead of that race is a great example of that.”

Lanni, a Montreal native who moved to Kentucky 25 years ago, will be at Woodbine along with other owners of the bay filly to watch her run in the Mazarine.

“I'm excited about going to Woodbine,” said Lanni. “I'm bringing some of the owners from Kentucky with me. It's going to be a good crowd of people and it's going to be a lot of fun to attend the races at Woodbine this late in the year. Some of these guys have never been to Woodbine, so they're pretty excited about going up there and seeing what it's all about and watching her race.”

Although the 2022 edition of the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser is far down the road, Stein thought of the country's pre-eminent race for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies just after the finish line in the Princess Elizabeth.

Those thoughts haven't changed.

“She was really impressive,” praised Stein. “Kevin thought she belonged in there and I rode her like she belonged in there. She ran better than I expected. It was pretty amazing for a first lifetime start. She looks the part, she behaves like it, and she ran like it. There's a lot of talent there.”

Among the past Princess Elizabeth winners who have gone on to take the Woodbine Oaks are Nipissing (2012), Roan Inish (2009), Ginger Gold (2001) and Dancethruthedawn (2000).

Attard and Lanni will also be represented in the 1 1/16-mile Grey, sending out Be Like Clint and Hicksy.

Bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm and owned by the same connections as Moira, Be Like Clint is 1-1-1 from four starts and will contest his first career stakes race on Saturday.

The son of Point of Entry arrives at the Grey off a second-place finish in a 1/16-mile Tapeta race on November 6.

“I was a little disappointed in his last start,” said Attard. “He lost a little bit of ground around the turn and then regained some momentum and ran on to be second. He's a colt that still seems to be figuring things out, so we're hoping he takes another step in the right direction and shows a little bit more improvement.”

Hicksy, owned by Lanni through the Lanni Bloodstock LLC banner, heads into the Grey on a two-race win streak, including a three-quarter length score in the seven-furlong Display Stakes on October 30.

The son of Hootenanny, bred by Richard Forbush, debuted on Sept. 12 at Woodbine, finishing fourth in a 5 ½-furlong main track race.

“He's a very nice colt,” praised Attard. “He's won his last two races and is a stakes winner now. He's stretching out in distance for the first time. I don't think it's going to be an issue for him. He seems to be rateable. He has some early foot, and he can be positioned anywhere you need him to be. Hopefully, he's just good enough.”

$150,000 MAZARINE STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Queen Judith – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse
2 – Chocolateaddiction – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
3 – Mrs. Barbara – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
4 – Kanta – Kazushi Kimura – Jonathan Thomas
5 – Guileful – Simon Husbands – Nathan Squires
6 – Moira – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
7 – Aubrieta – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
8 – Souper Hoity Toity – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse
9 – Sake (FR) – Shaun Bridgmohan – Jean-Claude Rouget

$150,000 GREY STAKES

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Heat Merchant – Gary Boulanger – Ralph Biamonte
2 – Speak Unity – Sahin Civaci – Norman McKnight
3 – Ironstone – Ademar Santos – Willie Armata
4 – Stowaway – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
5 – Shamateur – Steven Bahen – Michael Doyle
6 – Be Like Clint – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
7 – On Thin Ice – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
8 – Churchtown – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
9 – International – Shaun Bridgmohan – Jean-Claude Rouget
10 – God of Love – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
11 – Hicksy – Antonio Gallardo – Kevin Attard
12 – The Minkster – David Moran – Daniel Vella

The post Attard Has Solid Options In Both The Grey And Mazarine Stakes On Sunday’s Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘All Good Things Come To An End’: Pink LLoyd Won’t Return To The Races In 2022

Trainer Robert Tiller revealed on Instagram this week that multiple Canadian champion Pink Lloyd will make Saturday's G2 Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine the final start of his storied career. The 9-year-old gelding will then retire to the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, where fans can visit him.

“There's definitely mixed feelings,” Tiller told the Daily Racing Form. “When it's all over, it will be a big sigh of relief. It hasn't been easy training this horse. I'll be happy for him and happy for everybody involved. I knew this day would come, and we've made the joint decision to retire him. All good things come to an end. He's not going to run as a 10-year-old against top horses. He's done enough. He's been amazing.”

A 28-time winner from his 37 starts thus far, the Entourage Stable-owned Pink Lloyd has current earnings of $1,786,083. He has earned seven Sovereign Awards over the past four years, including Canada's Horse of the Year title in 2017 when he put together a perfect 8-for-8 campaign. Tiller raced him exclusively over the main track at Woodbine, where the gelding's talents shone brightest.

This season, Pink Lloyd has left the starting gates four times, winning two and finishing second in the other two.

Among Pink Lloyd's victories are: G2 Kennedy Road (2017, 2019), G3 Bold Venture (2020, 2021), G3 Vigil (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), and the G3 Jacques Cartier (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

Canadian Star Pink Lloyd to be Retired After Kennedy Road

In the all-good-things-must-come-to-an-end department, the venerable 9-year-old Ontario-bred Pink Lloyd (Old Forester) will make his final career start in Saturday's GII Kennedy Road S. at Woodbine, trainer Bob Tiller has announced.

“He's getting old, like me,” Tiller said. “What does he have to prove? I just don't want to put him out there against the very best anymore. He deserves to be retired. He was never going to go out there and run in $20,000 claimers. The decision has been made and we will stick to it. It's been a great run.”

Win or lose Saturday, Pink Lloyd has put together one of the more remarkable careers in the history of Canadian racing. He goes into the Kennedy Road, a race he won in 2017 and 2019, with 28 career victories from 37 starts and 25 stakes wins. All of his races have been at Woodbine. When converted to U.S. dollars, his career earnings stand at $1,786,083.

“He's the angel from heaven,” Tiller said. “He's the Muhammad Ali of all the horses I've trained over the years and I've been doing this for 48 years here at Woodbine. He's the man. He's the king. Anytime you find another horse who has won 25 stakes and 28 times you let me know about it.”

Pink Lloyd was purchased for $30,000 at the 2013 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling sale by owner Frank Di Giulio, Jr. He didn't make his first start until his 4-year-old year. He went three-for-five that year, but the best was yet to come. At five, he went eight-for-eight in 2017 and was named Canadian Horse of the Year.

Tiller campaigned him carefully. He never ran on the turf, outside of Canada or in any races longer than seven furlongs. The reward was more than five years of sustained excellence. He was named the champion male sprinter in Canada every year from 2017 through 2020. He was also named champion older horse in 2017 and champion older dirt male in 2019.

“I'll tell you what makes him so great–heart and desire and liking what he's doing and wanting to win,” Tiller said. “He goes after horses and he did that from day one. On day one, we put a horse three-four lengths in front of him and he'd blow by them by the time he hit the turns. He always wanted to do it.”

Following his last race, Pink Lloyd will be sent to the LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society in nearby Hillsburgh, Ontario.

“I have so much respect for this animal” Tiller said. “I say that truthfully. I have tremendous respect and love for this animal and we don't want to do anything that would make him look bad.”

Pink Lloyd is being retired at a point where he is still competing at a high level. He's two-for-four on the year and is coming off back-to-back wins in the GIII Bold Venture S. and the Ontario Jockey Club S. But he may not have been at his best in the Ontario Jockey Club, where he had to fight to win by a neck as the odds-on favorite.

Since the Kennedy Road is for open company, it figures to be a tough race for the 9-year-old. While Tiller would like to see him go out with a win, he said there are more important things than one more victory.

“I'm looking forward to this race, but it's not a matter of life and death,” he said. “He's been beaten before for different reasons. Every great horse gets beat. At end of the day, it's more important for him to come back from the race safe and sound.”

The post Canadian Star Pink Lloyd to be Retired After Kennedy Road appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post