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Weekend Lineup: Stakes Racing Begins At Woodbine

Woodbine hosts its first graded stakes races this year with the Whimsical on Saturday, and the Jacques Cartier on Sunday, with the latter led by seven-time Sovereign Award winner Pink Lloyd. Three-time Grade 1 winner Raging Bull is the one to be beat in Belmont's Grade 3 Poker Stakes. On the West Coast, Santa Anita concludes its season, which began the day after Christmas, headlined by Saturday's demanding Grade 3, 1 ¾-mile San Juan Capistrano on turf. And in Great Britain, Saturday's Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, televised on NBC, will be the final Group 1 of this year's Royal Ascot meeting.

TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from Monmouth Park, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park, and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app, which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races” will be broadcasting live on Saturday, June 19 on FS2 from 12:30-6 p.m., from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs, and again on Sunday, June 20 on FS2 from 12:30-5:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 19

11:20 a.m. ― $975,000 Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on NBC

The five-day Royal Ascot meeting draws to a close as turf sprinters take the spotlight in the Group 1, 6-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes in a 14-horse field. David Ward's 4-year-old Starman (GB) will vie for favoritism with Saeed Suhail's 7-year-old gelding Dream Of Dreams (IRE). Trained by Ed Walker and ridden from post 13 by Oisin Murphy, Starman has won four of five Starts, including his most recent score in the May 12 Group 2 Duke of York Clipper Logistics Sakes at York Racecourse. The Michael Stoute-trained Dream of Dreams has won nine races, highlighted by last September's Group 1 triumph in the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes at Haydock. Ryan Moore has the mount, breaking from post three.

5:31 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

Racing returned to Woodbine last weekend and the Toronto track will host its first graded stake of the season on Saturday with the Grade 3 Whimsical for fillies and mares going 6 furlongs. The field of eight is led by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsay's Artie's Princess, who finished just a head in front of LNJ Foxwoods' Boardroom in last November's Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes at Woodbine. Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Kazushi Kimura from post seven, Artie's Princess, a Canadian-bred daughter of We Miss Artie, has won five of seven starts. Breaking just outside of Artie's Princess is the 4-year-old Boardroom, trained by Canadian Racing Hall of Famer Josie Carroll. A bay daughter of Commissioner, Boardroom has won three of five races, including the listed Duchess Stakes at Woodbine prior to the Bessarabian. William and Anne Scott's 6-year-old Summer Sunday, trained by Stuart Simon, has won nine races, and finished third in last year's Whimsical. Gary Boulanger will ride, breaking from post three.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO061921CAN9-EQB.html

9:29 p.m. ― $100,000 Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita Park on TVG

At Santa Anita, trainer Phil D'Amato sends out a strong hand for Saturday's Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at 1 ¾ miles on turf with defending champion Red King and 9-5 morning line favorite Acclimate leading the six-horse field. Owned by Little Red Feather, Gordon Jacobsen and Philip Belmonte, the 7-year-old gelding Red King won last year's San Juan Capistrano by 3 ¼ lengths, and followed up that triumph by winning the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap presented by The Japan Racing Association in August. A bay son of Eclipse Award-winner English Channel, Red King finished third in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita on May 29. Umberto Rispoli has the mount breaking from post two. The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing and Ken Tevelde's Acclimate, also a 7-year-old gelding, won the 2019 San Juan Capistrano. Ridden from post four by Ricardo Gonzalez, the California-bred Acclimate finished second by a head in the Charles Whittingham. Fellow Cal-bred Ward 'n Jerry, an 8-year-old gelding owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, has won two starter allowance races this year at 1 ¼ and 1 ½ miles, respectively. Trained by Mike Puype and ridden from post four by Flavien Prat, Ward n' Jerry finished third in last year's San Juan Capistrano..

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA061921USA11-EQB.html

Sunday, June 20

4:29 p.m. ― $150,000 Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine on TVG

The 9-year-old Canadian-bred gelding Pink Lloyd is odds-on to win his fifth straight Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes at 6 furlongs against five rivals. Owned by Entourage Stable and trained by Robert Tiller, Pink Lloyd has been the champion Canadian sprinter four consecutive years and won Canada's 2017 Horse of the Year title. Heading into Sunday's race, Pink Lloyd, a chestnut son of Old Forester, has won a remarkably consistent 26 races in 33 starts. Ridden from post two by Daisuke Fukumoto, Pink Lloyd won his first four starts of 2020 before finishing third in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes last November. Live Oak Plantation's 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding Souper Stonehenge, trained by Mark Casse, finished second in the Kennedy Road. Searching for his first win of 2021, Souper Stonehenge, ridden by Patrick Husbands from post six, finished third in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 3.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/WO062021CAN7-EQB.html

5:02 ― $150,000 Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park on TVG

Sixteen fillies and mares, including four also-eligibles, have been entered for the $150,000 Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Monmouth Park. Godolphin's 4-year-old filly Micheline, trained by Mike Stidham, has won five races, including the Grade 2 Hillsboro at Tampa Bay in March. The bay daughter of Bernardini, ridden by Mychel Sanchez, was also second in last year's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm's Nay Lady Nay has won both her starts at Monmouth, including last July's Grade 3 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes. Trained by Chad Brown and ridden from post six by Dylan Davis, Nay Lady Nay finished fourth in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park on May 8. Trainer Christophe Clement has entered Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer, who won last year's Grade 2 Lake Placid at Saratoga.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/MTH062021USA11-EQB.html

5:12 p.m. ― $250,000 Grade 3 Poker at Belmont Park on FS2

Peter Brant's three-time Group 1 winner Raging Bull (FR) is the standout in the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont against eight rivals at 1 mile on the turf. A 6-year-old son of Dark Angel (FR), Raging Bull began the year on a solid note, winning the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 9. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post one, Raging Bull's two other Grade 1 wins came in last year's Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita and in the 2018 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Mary Abeel Sullivan Revocable Trust's 4-year-old gelding Get Smokin, trained by Thomas Bush, has won two of three starts this year, including the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes in February, and the Seek Again Stakes on May 22 at Belmont. Junior Alvarado rides, breaking from post four. Team Valor International's 7-year-old mare Olekandra (AUS) returns to Belmont where she won the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes last June for trainer Neil Drysdale.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/BEL062021USA9-EQB.html

7:21 p.m. – $100,000 Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita on TVG

CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig, and Daniel Weiner's Neptune's Storm leads a field of six in the Grade 3 American Stakes at 1 mile on turf at Santa Anita. Trained by Peter Miller, the 5-year-old gelding has won six races, including last year's Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields. Neptune Storm will be making his first start since finishing fourth-place in the Tourist Mile Stakes at Kentucky Downs last September. Flavien Prat has the mount, breaking from post three. Rave Green Racing's 6-year-old gelding Majestic Eagle, trained by Neil Drysdale, finished second in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita on May 29 in his 2021 debut. Majestic Eagle will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez from post five.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA062021USA7-EQB.html

8:28 p.m. – $100,000 Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Warren and Sally Benjamin's 4-year-old California-bred Warren's Showtime leads a wide open field of eight fillies and mares in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes going 1 mile on the turf. A six-time winner for trainer Craig Lewis, Warren's Showtime finished second in the 1-mile Fran's Valentine last time out on May 6 at Santa Anita. She won last October's Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes over the course. Juan Hernandez will ride from post five. Leggs Galore, another California-bred 4-year-old filly, owned by William Simms, defeated Warren's Showtime in the Fran's Valentine by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez from post six, Legg's Galore has won six of nine races, and is seeking her first graded-stakes win.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA062021USA-EQB.html#RACE9

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‘Such A Good Feeling’: Jockey Sahin Civaci Glad To Be Back Racing At Woodbine

His first mount of the 2021 Woodbine season wasn't a winning one, but for Sahin Civaci, it was a good start.

The fourth race on Woodbine's opening day card on June 12 attracted a field 11 fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, including Pipestone, bred and owned by Chiefswood Stables.

A 4-year-old daughter of Munnings, the dark bay departed the gate as the 3-1 second choice in the seven-furlong journey over the Toronto oval Tapeta.

At the wire, Civaci and Pipestone settled for second prize, 4 ¼-lengths behind the favored Shedat.

There was no winner's circle photo, but for Civaci, simply being back in action, to reconnect with the feeling of being in the irons, was a victory in itself.

“Of course, the goal is to always win. But I was happy with the effort and I was happy to ride for Chiefswood and [trainer] Stuart Simon. This mare will be hard to beat next time out. Just to be back racing, it was such a good feeling for myself and for everyone else.”

After a successful run at his hometown oval, Hastings Park, which began in 2014, Civaci made the decision to set up shop in Toronto two years ago.

Being the new jockey on the block presented its share of challenges. But after a modest start at Canada's Showplace of Racing, he would eventually find his stride.

“Coming to a big track like Woodbine can be intimidating to some people, even myself,” who was born in Vancouver but at the age of 10 moved with his parents to their native Ankara, Turkey. “That first year was a little difficult, getting adjusted to a new situation. After I got through all of that, I felt very comfortable. I feel very comfortable now and I'm very happy with where I am at.”

He can readily recall his first trip to the Woodbine winner's circle and the trip itself.

The milestone moment came on June 5, 2019, aboard Phil's Glory, an Ontario-bred daughter of Philanthropist.

Sent off at 7-2, Phil's Glory, bred and then owned by Paul Buttigieg, rallied for a half-length score in the 1 1/16-mile main track race.

“I loved that race. We came from off the pace, we ran down the horse that was on the lead and got them at the wire. It was definitely rewarding. I got a lot of calls from people back at Hastings. I have a lot of support from back there, so it meant a lot to have so many people reach out to congratulate me.”

Civaci has had plenty of other reasons to celebrate since settling in Ontario.

In 2019, he won 39 races in 363 starts. Last year, he boosted his win total to 47 from 434 starts.

His goals for this year won't come as a surprise.

“I want win more races than I did in 2020 and to also be in more races, and in the bigger races. I was really happy with last year's performance. Each year, it seems like it is getting better and better, and opportunities are opening up for me. I'm just pleased with how everything is going.”

That would also apply to his life away from the races.

When he's not getting a leg up, Civaci can be found indulging in his passion for gaming, going for a walk with his girlfriend Alyssa, or taking care of their pet hedgehog, Bruce.

“I like going out for walks with my girlfriend, and we'll also watch movies on Netflix too,” said the 27-year-old, who lists the 1996 movie Jingle All the Way as his all-time favorite. “I love to play videogames, too, so I do that a lot. You just really try to take advantage of any downtime you get. It's a good balance to have. I'm very happy with how things are in my life.”

The rider with 202 lifetime wins, including a victory aboard Calgary Caper in the Grade 3 BC Premier's Handicap three years ago, will hope to echo those same words at the conclusion of this year's Woodbine Thoroughbred meet.

He's looking forward to the journey.

“I'm going to continue to work hard to get more opportunities to ride. The key for me is to always do better than the year before. That's what pushes me every time I go into the gate. Win or lose, I always give my best.”

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Seven-Time Sovereign Award Winner Pink Lloyd Kicks Off 2021 Campaign Sunday At Woodbine

Multiple stakes champion and fan favourite Pink Lloyd goes after his fifth straight Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes crown, Sunday at Woodbine, part of a 12-race card that also features the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes.

A seven-time Sovereign award winner, including Horse of the Year honours in 2017 and four straight (2017-2020) Male Sprinter titles, Pink Lloyd, owned by Entourage Stable and trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Robert Tiller, will launch his 9-year-old campaign in a race he has dominated since 2017.

With regular rider Rafael Hernandez on the sidelines after an injury suffered in an opening day spill on June 12, Daisuke Fukumoto will take the reins of the speedy son of Old Forester in the $150,000 Jacques Cartier.

Tiller, who has campaigned the ultra consistent chestnut since his first start in 2016, will take a race-to-race approach with Pink Lloyd this season.

“You're dealing with a 9-year-old,” said Tiller, who won the first race of the 2021 Woodbine Thoroughbred meet with Five Days in May. “This horse, his career will be over this year at some time. He will be retired this year. He's been a wonderful animal, he's earned over $2 million, and he loves racing. He's happy and he's sound right now – that's why he's running. We're going to take it one start at a time and make a decision after each start.”

Bred by John Carey, Pink Lloyd launched his career five years ago, winning his first three races, including a victory in his debut on August 28, 2016, a 1 ½-length score over six furlongs on the Woodbine main track.

The veteran campaigner hasn't missed a beat since then, racking up a slew of stakes triumphs while filling his connections' trophy cases with hard-earned hardware.

“We have a lot of challenges for this race,” noted Tiller. “He carries high weight again. If he runs a good race like he did in his last race of 2020, I'll be happy and we'll see how he comes out of it. The horse is doing well and he has every right to run in this race.”

When Pink Lloyd is retired, he'll be sent to LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society to enjoy his post-racing life.

As Tiller noted last year, “He'll be a movie star there after being a rock star on the racetrack.”

Other contenders include Wesley Ward trainee Joker On Jack, 2020 Jacques Cartier runner-up Malibu Secret, Zilli Racing Stables' 5-year-old Readyforprimetime, Live Oak Plantation homebred Souper Stonehenge, and stakes winner Dixie's Gamble.

Listed at 25-1 in the Queen's Plate Winterbook, Derzkii, a 3-year-old son of Frac Daddy, will make his 2021 debut in the Woodstock Stakes, traditionally a key prep on the road to Canada's most famous horse race.

Owned by Fieldstone Farms Inc., and trained by Carlos Grant, the two-time winner from six starts closed out his 2-year-old campaign with back-to-back scores, on October 18 and November 12.

Grant saw potential in Derzkii early on, but waited until after the dark bay's first race to see if his confidence was warranted.

“Some of them will fool you, so you just have to wait until they start racing. When he was a yearling, he'd be running around the paddock like a madman. There would be ice and everything in the paddock, and he'd be going like a madman. I always told my wife and my brother-in-law, 'He's a freak.' Nothing will faze him. That's what you want in a horse.

“He just can't stand it when you leave him in his stall. I have to train him first in the morning and when he comes off the track, he's still full of energy. He's got no shortage of energy. He's a beautiful horse to be around.”

After a third, fourth, fifth and second to begin his career, Derzkii, bred by Megan Allan and Lesley Kraus, hit his best stride in his past two performances.

Grant was thoroughly pleased with his rookie campaign.

“He had a beautiful year. He came out of all the races very happy and he showed us all what he could do out there. I usually give my horses three days off, depending on how they come out of the race, but he was ready and raring to go again the day after his races. During his training, I realized he wanted to go further. After every work, I would say, 'This guy wants to go long.' In his third start, I noticed him looking around, so we put the blinkers on. We made that adjustment and that was all he needed.”

This will be the second stakes appearance for Derzkii, who finished fourth in the 2020 Simcoe Stakes.

His connections are hoping it's the start of even bigger things to come.

“I dream about it [Queen's Plate] every day, every single minute,” said Grant. “Racing in the Plate would be a dream come true. We have to keep our fingers crossed.”

The field showcases stakes winners Chasing Artie, Jaxon Traveler, Master Spy, and Outadore, along with multiple stakes placed Sky's Not Falling, and Saturday George, who broke his maiden with an impressive turf triumph last September at Woodbine.

FIELD FOR THE JACQUES CARTIER

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Joker On Jack – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Wesley Ward

2 – Pink Lloyd – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller

3 – Malibu Secret – Kazushi Kimura – Martin Drexler

4 – Readyforprimetime – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo

5 – Souper Stonehenge – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

6 – Dixie's Gamble – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll

FIELD FOR THE WOODSTOCK

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Chasing Artie – Kazushi Kimura – Wesley Ward

2 – Outadore – Justin Stein – Wesley Ward

3 – Saturday George – David Moran – Michael De Paulo

4 – Jaxon Traveler – Luis Contreras – Steve Asmussen

5 – Sky's Not Falling – Gary Boulanger – Michael Trombetta

6 – Derzkii – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Carlos Grant

7 – Master Spy – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

The Jacques Cartier is scheduled as race seven. The Woodstock goes as race 10. First post is 1:20 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.com.

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Equibase Analysis: Boardroom Gets Top Billing In Whimsical Stakes

Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Whimsical Stakes brings together eight strong distaff sprinters running six furlongs on the all-weather course at Woodbine but the spotlight will be on two of them, Artie's Princess and Boardroom, who meet for the third time in their brief careers.

When last seen in the fall in the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes, Artie's Princess prevailed by a diminishing margin to win by a head over Boardroom, who had encountered stifling traffic on the far turn. Prior to that Boardroom had won the Duchess Stakes while Artie's Princess had won the Ruling Angel Stakes.

Our Secret Agent hopes to turn the tide on both fillies after finishing second in the Ruling Angel and Duchess before ending up third in the Bessarabian. Summer Sunday also has the credentials to run well, having taken the Belle Mahone Stakes last September three races following a third place effort in the 2020 Whimsical.

Chart is a stakes winner as well, having captured the Grade 2 Ontario Colleen Stakes on turf last summer at Woodbine. Amalfi Coast won the 2019 Bessarabian Stakes then 11 months later in October 2020 won the Sweet Briar Too Stakes so fits on all counts with these.

Sav has finished first or second in 11 of 16 career starts, with her best effort in a stakes coming when third in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes last September. Golden Ami won the first two races of her career last March and November before a sixth place finish in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes in her only try at this level.

Boardroom gets slight preference to win this year's Whimsical Stakes. She might be a perfect-five-for five in her career except for two things beyond her control- broken equipment and severe traffic trouble. After easily winning the first two starts of her career last June and July, Boardroom suffered from a piece of broken equipment in the Ruling Angel Stakes (won by Artie's Princess) which denied jockey Contreras steering control. The fact that Boardroom finished third in that race was a testament to her desire to win. Next up in October, Boardroom won the Duchess Stakes, earning a career best 101 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure in the process, which was the same figure Artie's Princess earned for her Ruling Angel victory.

When these two fillies next met in the Bessarabian in November, Boardroom was in position to win on the far turn when a horse boxed her in, forcing her and jockey Contreras to wait for a break in traffic when otherwise she would have been in high gear. After circling four paths wide on the turn while the winner got a much better trip, Boardroom was closing with every stride when the wire came, missing by a head with another 101 figure. With the outside post in the Whimsical, Boardroom should be able to avoid traffic while it is likely Golden Ami sets a brisk pace, chased closely by Sav, giving her the opportunity to close nicely to win this race.

Summer Sunday loves to win races, as evidenced by her record of eight victories from 12 starts on the all-weather main track at Woodbine. As a four year old (the same age as Boardroom and Artie's Princess) in 2019, Summer Sunday won the Hendrie Stakes and Royal North Stakes in succession, then in her 2020 debut she finished third in the Whimsical. Later last season she won an allowance race during the summer before taking the Belle Mahone Stakes in the fall, with the better of those two efforts earning a 100 ™ figure good enough to be competitive with the main contenders if repeated.

Artie's Princess won the first two starts of her career in the summer and fall of 2019, then nearly won the Frost King Stakes with a career-best 102 figure. Resting from November of that year to last June, Artie's Princess returned to win easily with a 99 figure then two later won the Ruling Angel with a 101 figure effort. Duplicating that in the Bessarabian and having won all three races in her career when returning from a layoff as she's doing today, Artie's Princess has every right to add to her already strong five-for-six record on the main track at Woodbine with a win in the Whimsical Stakes.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Amalfi Coast (103), Chart (85), Golden Ami (100), Our Secret Agent (100) and Sav (99).

Win Contenders:
Boardroom
Summer Sunday
Artie's Princess

Whimsical Stakes – Grade 3
Race 9 at Woodbine
Saturday, June 19 – Post Time 5:31 PM E.T.
Six Furlongs on all-weather
Fillies and Mares, Four Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $150,000

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