Record Woodbine Mile Handle Paces Huge Weekend With Over $30 Million Wagered

A stakes-filled weekend across Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park generated a total of $30,391,567.55 in handle over five cards of Woodbine Entertainment live racing from Friday through Sunday.

The highlight of the weekend was a record-setting $13,856,030.71 handle on Saturday's Thoroughbred card at Woodbine Racetrack, which established a new record for a Ricoh Woodbine Mile card and was a 17.3 per cent increase over 2020.

Horseplayers wagered $2.2 million on the Ricoh Woodbine Mile race and $1.7 million on the Pattison Canadian International race. A quartet of multi-leg wager guarantees and a Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payout, which generated $957,408.21 in new money, were also highlights of the successful 12-race card.

Sunday afternoon's card from Woodbine generated a $7.2 million handle on an 11-race program. The afternoon included a pair of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races to cap off Woodbine's Turf Festival Weekend.

The stakes action continued west at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with the Canadian Trotting Classic the marquee race on another large Saturday evening Standardbred program. Horseplayers wagered $3.1 million on the Saturday 13-race card at Mohawk Park, an increase of 9.4 per cent from last year's Trotting Classic.

The strong Saturday followed a $2.6 million handle on Friday's card from Campbellville.

Live racing resumes tonight (Tuesday) at Woodbine Mohawk Park and continues Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Post time is 7 p.m.

Woodbine Thoroughbred action picks back up on Thursday afternoon and runs through the weekend. Post time Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is 1:10 p.m., while Friday's card begins at 4:50 p.m.

For a recap of Woodbine's stakes action, click here.

For a recap of Woodbine Mohawk Park's stakes, click here. 

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Walton Street Airs in Canadian International

Walton Street (GB) (g, 7, Cape Cross {Ire}–Brom Felinity {Aus}, by Encosta de Lago {Aus}) sat in a perfect spot beneath Frankie Dettori chasing well-clear 41-1 longshot leader Primo Touch (Midas Touch {GB}) from second, crept closer on the far turn, gained command as they cornered for home and drew clear in the stretch to win for fun by 5 3/4 lengths in Saturday's GI Pattison Canadian International S. at Woodbine. Desert Encounter (Ire) (Halling) was second; Primo Touch stayed on for third. The 4-5 favorite completed 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.07.

The lightly raced 7-year-old gelding recorded his breakthrough first group success in the G2 Dubai City of Gold S. at Meydan Mar. 6. He was freshened off a fourth-place finish, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 27 and entered off a third-place finish in the G1 Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten Aug. 8. His resume also includes a close second, beaten just a neck, in the 2019 G3 Prix Valparaiso Sporting Club at Deauville and a third-place finish in the 2018 G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury. He was receiving first-time Lasix in the Canadian International.

“I think to be honest it worked out perfectly how we thought it would,” said Alex Merriman, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby. “I thought he would go forward and slot in. Frankie has his game plan, and turning in he always knew he was gonna kick on and he's gone and seen the race on nicely.”

He added, “He was in great form in Dubai and he ran a great one in Germany last time and he's put in a good performance here today. He's been with us a long time. He's a favourite in the yard and it was nice to see. He's a lovely horse.”

Dettori won his record fourth Canadian International following successes with Mutafaweq (2000), Sulamani (2004), and Joshua Tree (2010).

Pedigree Notes:

Walton Street is 14th Grade/Group 1 winner for the high-class Cape Cross (Ire). He is the top performer out of the Australian G2 Matriarch S. winner Brom Felinity (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}), a sister to G1 Australian Guineas victor Delago Brom (Aus). The mare has to date produced four winners in Australia, Britain, Dubai and France, including the six-time scorer Macavity (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). Grandam Brompton Cross (Aus) (El Qahira {NZ}) was, like her daughter, a Group 2 winner at Flemington, her biggest success coming in the Edward Manifold S. Brom Felinity was sold by Godolphin in July 2016 for 15,000gns to Ebor Bloodstock. The mare's current yearling, a colt by Oasis Dream (GB), fetched 34,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Sale. She had a filly by Oasis Dream this year.

Saturday, Woodbine
PATTISON CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL S.-GI, C$608,400, Woodbine, 9-18, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:29.07, gd.
1–WALTON STREET (GB), 126, g, 7, by Cape Cross (Ire)
1st Dam: Brom Felinity (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $441,177), by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
2nd Dam: Brompton Cross (Aus), by El Qahira
3rd Dam: Reiko (NZ), by Sir Godfrey (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Godolphin Racing LLC; B-Darley (GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-Lanfranco Dettori. C$360,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, SW & GSP-Eng, G1SP-Ger, GSP-Fr, 19-7-4-4, $962,153. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the  eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Desert Encounter (Ire), 126, g, 9, Halling–La Chicana (Ire), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (32,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Abdulla Al Mansoori; B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-David Simcock. C$120,000.
3–Primo Touch, 126, g, 6, Midas Touch (GB)–Mary's Derby Rose, by Sightseeing. ($2,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Kirk Sutherland; B-JEOG Racing LLC (KY); T-Harold Ladouceur. C$60,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 4 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.85, 7.35, 41.35.
Also Ran: English Conqueror, Belichick, Corelli, Bluegrass Parkway, Fantasioso (Arg). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Euro Invader Looms Large in Summer

Charlie Appleby makes the trip across the pond with a strong chance to earn a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf when he sends out Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Woodbine's GI Summer S. Sunday. Graduating at second asking at Haydock June 9, the Godolphin homebred followed suit with a decisive score at that oval July 17 and captured the Stonehenge S. at Salisbury Aug. 20. Frankie Dettori also makes the trip to Canada to ride.

Mark Casse has won this event four times, including last year, and he sends out a solid contender in First Empire (Classic Empire). A second-out winner when switched from sythetic to grass here Aug. 1, the dark bay captured the Soaring Free S. over the local lawn Aug. 21. Casse also saddles a trio of longshots in Souper Legacy (Hard Spun), Grafton Street (War Front) and Luckman (Empire Maker).

Shug McGaughey is very rarely seen in the Woodbine entries, but he makes the trip north with Dripping Gold (Lemon Drop Kid), who won on debut in a two-turn turf test at Saratoga Aug. 7.

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Wild Beauty Looms Large in Natalma

Three years ago, the Godolphin-owned and Charlie Appleby-conditioned La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) used placings in the Listed Star S. and in the G3 Sweet Solera S. as a stepping-stones to victory in the GI Natalma S. at Woodbine. Connections will be hoping that lightning strikes twice Sunday with Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has charted precisely the same course into the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf at Del Mar Nov.5.

Whereas La Pelosa finished third in the Star S. at Goodwood, Wild Beauty went one better, chasing home hot favorite Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who subsequently hacked up at 20 cents on the dollar in Doncaster's G2 May Hill S. Sept. 9. Wild Beauty and La Pelosa both finished runner-up in the Sweet Solera contested over a straight seven furlongs at Newmarket and she should appreciate the extra eighth of a mile Sunday.

D J Stable and Nexus Racing's Diabolic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) looks to take her unbeaten streak to four while stretching out in trip for the first time. Purchased for £90,000 out of last year's Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, the gray filly validated 8-5 favoritism with a neck success sprinting five grassy furlongs at Gulfstream May 20 before adding the My Dear S. over the local synthetic surface July 31. It was back to the turf when prepping for this in the Aug. 21 Catch a Glimpse S. and Diabolic made a run from next to last to report home a length to the good of Royal Engagement (Palace Malice), with Mrs. Barbara (Bodemeister) another length and three-quarters back in third.

Bobby Flay homebred Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) holds the distinction of being the lone runner in the field of 10 with a victory going long, having graduated by three-parts of a length at first asking at Saratoga July 22. Joel Rosario retains the mount for Christophe Clement.

Ready Lady (More Than Ready) belied generous odds to score by a half-length on her seven-furlong debut Aug. 28 and will try to follow in the hoofprints of her half-sister 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), who won this event last year by 3/4 of a length off a somewhat more decisive first-out success.

Eminent Victor (Mr. Z) earned a competitive 74 Beyer for a debut score over the Arlington Poly and has since been acquired by Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group and Louis Lazzinaro. She makes her first appearance for Chad Brown here.

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