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Pick Pony | Sept. 15, 2024, 3:48 p.m.
And One More Time, closing down the middle of the track under Rafael Hernandez, got the measure of stablemates Vixen, and Nitrogen in Saturday’s Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
The Natalma, a $500,000 turf race contested over one mile of grass, is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and entitles the winner to automatic entry in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. That Grade 1, one-mile event will be run at Del Mar on November 1.
In a sign of what was to come in the latter stages, Nitrogen, and And One More Time were one-two as the field settled into stride, followed by fellow Mark Casse pupil Vixen through an opening quarter in :23.28 over firm going on the E.P. Taylor turf.
It was status quo amongst the lead trio through a half in :46.57, while Annascaul, second choice at 7-2 on the tote board, skimmed the rail in fourth, while 4-5 choice, Mountain Breeze (IRE), was tenth of 11.
The trio continued to match strides around the turn for home, but the drama was just beginning as Vixen, in rein to John Velazquez came calling, while a game Nitrogen, dug in gamely to the inside, with And One More Time powering on in the middle.
Nitrogen was a length clear at the stretch call as the three-pronged battle continued to intensify as the finish line drew nearer.
At the wire, And One More Time eked out a neck score over Vixen. Nitrogen was a half-length further back in third. Italian Soiree was fourth.
The final time was 1:33.99.
Ready to Battle, Annascaul, Ready for Candy, Mountain Breeze, Will Reign, Thread, and Artic Velocity completed the order of finish.
The Natalma was the first stakes test and the first grass race for the daughter of Omaha Beach-Complicated.
For dual hall of fame trainer Casse, it was his eighth Natalma crown.
“You know, when I asked her down the lane, she didn't care where she was,” said Hernandez, who won the 2022 edition of the Natalma with Last Call. “She just does her job, and you don't get intimidated.”
“She just ran wonderfully,” added assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “A lot of heart. We knew from her race of Saratoga, we had a special filly, but I think she really proved it today."
And More Time, who was purchased by Live Oak Plantation for $750,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, was starting for only the third time after a seventh in her debut at Churchill Downs on June 26 and a maiden-breaking effort last time out at Saratoga on August 8.
She paid $35.40. An all-Casse triactor paid $1,101.55 for $1.
Fashionably Fab, under David Moran, rallied late to take the Grade 3 $150,000 Ontario Matron, for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.
Moran, who got the call from trainer Kevin Attard, after the former’s son, apprentice Pietro Moran, was injured in a spill at Fort Erie on Tuesday, delivered a perfect ride on the dark bay daughter of Silent Name (JPN)-Flashy’s Legacy.
Solo Album, under Frankie Dettori, took early control of the proceedings, taking her 13 rivals through an opening quarter of :23.62 in the 1 1/16-mile main track event, with Ro Town, another Attard pupil, settling into second to the outside. Libban and Sand and Sea were next, in third and fourth, respectively. Fashionably Fab was tenth.
Solo Album was still on top of the charts through a half in :48.13, while Fashionably Fab sat twelfth.
Heading into the turn for home, Solo Album was still on top, but Fashionably Fab, along the rail, had already navigated her way into contention and was given her cue in early stretch by Moran.
The pair pounced on the pacesetter and struck front in early stretch. Ahead by a half-length at the stretch call, Fashionably Fab was able to fend off an inside bid from Elysian Field to win by a length. Blueberry Fields rallied to finish third, a half-length in front of Solo Album.
The final time was 1:43.84.
“I was riding this for Pietro,” said Moran, who wore a yellow riding cap with his son’s name embroidered on it. “He was out there with me. He called me before the race, told me exactly how to ride her. So, it was basically him riding the horse. I just steered her around. But she was amazing. She traveled nicely, kicked very strongly to the head of the lane, and you know, Pietro was behind her.
“It's amazing just to be riding with him this year. I can't describe the feeling of it, and then just to watch him turn into the rider and person that he is, he’s just a great kid and a natural rider. And as Kevin will tell you, he's a hard worker and deserves everything he gets. He’ll be back from this in no time, and he’ll be back at it.
“The surgery went well, and the doctors were very happy with it. So, he just has to recover now, and we have to take that as it comes.”
Attard thanked owner and breeder Terra Racing Stable for their support.
“First, they gave Pietro an opportunity, when he was a young apprentice, early in his career, to get on her and ride her in the graded stakes (Grade 3 Belle Mahone), and she won. And today, I just thought it was really fitting if we gave dad a try on this one for Pietro.
“The filly is just a wonderful filly. And this one's for you, buddy. Can't wait to see you back here.”
It was the ninth win, to go along with three thirds from 15 starts for the 4-year-old, who won five straight races, all stakes, from September 12, 2023, to June 1, 2024.
Fashionably Fab paid $15.80 for the win.
Full Count Felicia, coming off a front-running victory here in the 1 1/8-mile Canadian Stakes (G2T), knocked another one out of the park to become a Grade 1 winner in Saturday’s E.P. Taylor Stakes.
Stretching out to 1 ¼ miles on the eponymous turf course and facing four difficult rivals in the $750,000 E.P. Taylor, Full Count Felicia took charge early and opened a jaw-dropping lead before holding on for a 3 ½-length score. Moira, her Kevin Attard-trained stablemate and the 4-5 choice, was easily best of the rest.
Kazushi Kimura was aboard for the rather surprising victory on Full Count Felicia, owned by Gold Square LLC, who returned $17.80 as the fourth choice. The final time was a brisk 1:59.29.
"I was trying to let her, you know, try to be how own pace and being comfortable, it worked out well," said Kimura.
Kimura wasted no time in taking Full Count Felicia to the front in the Taylor as they led by seven lengths through a quarter in :25.12, had extended that advantage to 14 lengths through a half in :48.12, and reached the three-quarters in 1:11.81 while 19 lengths in front.
Attard admitted that he could not have foreseen the manner in which Full Count Felicia would dominate the Taylor.
“Never in a million years,” said the trainer. “I thought Fev Rover and Full Count Felicia would, kind of, you know, duke it out a little bit early.
“She set an honest pace, I thought. And you know, the I looked around at the three-eighths, and she had an insurmountable lead, and I'm thinking, ‘Is she gonna stop?’ Like, she'd have to come to a dead walk at this point.
“But you know, she's a nice filly. I don't think she got the respect she deserved. Thought her race in the Canadian last start was really impressive. And I think she's just improving, just getting better with each start."
Moira, seeking her first Grade 1 victory, raced fourth through the early going before moving up turning for home. Trailing by seven lengths as Full Count Felicia hit the mile in 1:35.19, Moira was six lengths back at the eighth pole and closed well without threatening the winner.
The 6-year-old Fev Rover, the second choice at 3-1, pressed the pace early and stayed on for third money, 2 ½ lengths behind the runner-up. The nemeses were meeting for the seventh time and the 5-year-old Moira holds a 4-3 edge.
The two French invaders brought up the rear with 3-year-old Blush trailing throughout before closing mildly for fourth and Ble Cen Rose, a 4-year-old with multiple Group 1 victories on her resume, a non-threatening fifth.
Full Count Felicia, by War Front out of Clair de Lune (IRE), was recording her seventh win in 19 starts and her fifth stakes victory. The E.P. Taylor was her third start for Attard, who had sent out the mare to finish fourth when she was making her local debut in the one-mile Nassau, which was her first start in almost five months.
Cinderella’s Dream, who had shipped in from Saratoga for Godolphin and trainer Charles Appleby, was scratched.
Moira and Fev Rover had finished 1-2, just a head apart, in the recent Beverly D. (Grade 2) at Colonial Downs. That race was a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race. All remaining well, Moira will proceed to that goal. Attard, however, will consider his path for Full Count Felicia.
"I'm going to leave that to the guys that sign the check,’ he said. They sent her here for me to do a job. And, we're going to enjoy this Grade 1. Obviously, it's very important for her value as a broodmare. So, enjoy the day right now.”
Attard was enjoying his second success in the E.P. Taylor, having captured the 2019 running with the redoubtable Starship Jubilee.
New Century (GB) and Al Qudra (IRE), both invading from England, came from well back early to end clear of their eight rivals as the 1-2 finishers in Saturday’s bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine.
The Summer, a Grade 1 one-mile turf race, offered a purse of $500,000 and an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a one-mile race which will be run at Del Mar on November 1.
Groot, a 45-1 chance, had set the early pace with Winterberry in hot pursuit through a quarter in :22.60 and a half in :45.54 on the firm going.
Dream On had come on to take charge through three-quarters in 1:09.27. Al Qudra, ninth early, had moved into sixth place with New Century just over a half-length back in eighth.
“I was at the back, he was a bit keen the inside,” said Oisin Murphy, who rode New Century for Qatar Racing LLC.
The pair were both in high gear once the field settled into the stretch and were finishing strongly when they traded bumps in the late going.
“The inside horse (Dream On) ducked out, and William (Al Qudra’s rider, William Buick) and I tried to have one smooth challenge down the centre of the track,” said Murphy.
New Century, who is trained by Andrew Balding and travelled here with assistant trainer Leanne White, returned $8.80 as the second choice while prevailing by 1 ¼ lengths over his even-money rival.
Dream On held for third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up, with First Resort, Cairo Caper, Winterberry, Forty N Five, Special Session, Groot, and Coolcollected completing the order of finish
There were 17 horses entered for the Summer but five Mark Casse trainees – Ready to Battle, Vixen, Will Reign, Thread, and Nitrogen – were cross-entered in the Summer and competed in that filly race earlier on the card. Latin Fever (IRE), also conditioned by Casse, was entered but scratched from both races while Dewolf, trained by Kevin Attard, opted to await Sunday’s restricted Bull Page.
“The Qatar racing team with Andrew found this race, and obviously it made sense timing-wise for the Breeders’ Cup,” said Murphy. “Now he's going to have to be sharper at Del Mar, but he has the class, and hopefully he can step up again.”
“You know, he's done everything right since he’s been here,” added White. “He traveled over on the plane well. He's eaten everything and he’s drank really well.
“His training has been good, a little bit greener on the track the first day, but then, you know, he wasn't bothered by horses galloping past him. I took him on the turf on Thursday, and just let him stretch from the two-pole, and he gave me a lovely feel.”
New Century was making his first start in graded stakes company after winning the listed Stonehenge, a Salisbury stakes which was run over one mile of turf on August 14. The colt by Kameko out of the Street Cry mare, Potent Embrace, had won his maiden over seven furlongs on the grass at Doncaster before ending second behind Al Qudra in the listed Pat Eddery in his first encounter with Al Qudra.
“He's a small horse, and he's fairly light on his feet,” said White. “He sort of skips over the ground.”
The Balding stable had not been seen here since 2019, when Pivoine finished fourth in the Canadian International, but had enjoyed success in Woodbine’s 2017 E.P. Taylor Stakes with Blond Me (ridden by Murphy) and won the Canadian International in 2003 with Phoenix Reach.
Kentucky-bred Win for the Money, a 5-year-old son of Mohaymen-Mayakoba, rode the rail to victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Rogers Woodbine Mile, part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” program.
Trained by Mark Casse for Live Oak Plantation, the chestnut, under a masterful ride from Patrick Husbands, notched his first graded success in grand fashion on the big stage.
Stablemate Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) struck front after a brief scramble for the lead, as longshot Secret Reserve and 2-5 choice Naval Power (GB) settled into second and third, respectively, followed by another outsider, Niagara Skyline. Win for the Money was unhurried, running seventh of eight.
Ahead by a length through an opening panel in :23.05 over firm going, Filo Di Arianna, a multiple graded stakes winner riding a two-race win streak, loped along comfortably and maintained his length advantage after a half in :45.44.
A host of rivals, including Naval Power and Big Rock (FR), came charging to the outside of the leader around the turn for home, while Husbands took the inside route down the long stretch run to the wire.
A head behind Filo Di Arianna at Robert Geller’s stretch call, the gelding kept gaining with every stride to earn a well-deserved 1 ½-length score. A game Filo Di Arianna took the place award, a neck ahead of Big Rock, who was a length in front of Naval Power.
The final time was a quick 1:32.11.
For Casse, it was another outstanding result on an afternoon he secured first, second, and third in the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes, also a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In” event, courtesy of And One More Time, Vixen, and Nitrogen.
The dual hall of fame conditioner celebrated his third Mile victory. He won the 2016 edition with superstar mare Tepin and the 2017 running with multiple graded stakes standout World Approval, also owned (and bred) by Live Oak Plantation, who went on to take that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Husbands, inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame this year, was elated with the win.
“I must say, I give out respect to Mark [Casse],” said the veteran journeyman, whose other Mile triumph came in 2001 with Numerous Times. “I had a perfect trip. I figured, from reading the Racing Form, if I come off the pace, it’s my best chance. So, when he breaks, and he breaks so relaxed, I was happy.
“I was behind [jockey, William] Buick, he has a nice horse (Naval Power), and I knew when it's time for him to go, I just got to follow him. So, he followed him the whole way.”
With Saturday’s win, Win for the Money, now 5-5-1 from 16 starts, earns automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on November 2.
"I did say earlier, I thought he might surprise some people, he's been really training well,” said assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “Live Oak and on the turf, they have such a great history of turf horses, and he'd been doing really well. So, we were pretty confident.”
As for a run in the Breeders’ Cup, Sullivan noted the connections will speak before announcing their intentions.
“It's a possibility, I would think.”
Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Win for the Money, after a debut at Ellis Park, broke his maiden next time out at Woodbine on November 20, 2021, in a seven-furlong race over the main track.
He made two other starts at the Toronto oval last fall when he was third in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes and second in the Grade 3 Valedictory.
This year, he won the Mr. Steele Stakes (Black Type) at Gulfstream in May, was fourth in the Wise Dan (G2T) at Churchill in June and was second in the KY Downs Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes at Ellis Park on August 3.
Win for the Money paid $29.30.
Patches O’Houlihan took command at the start, turned back a couple of challenges from longshot Rockcrest, and motored to his third win in as many starts this season in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Branded Cities Vigil Stakes, at Woodbine.
The defending champion in the six-furlong Vigil, Patches O’Houlihan shot to the front from his outside post and led through fractions of :22.46 and :44.86 en route to his 1 ¾-length tally in a final time of 1:08.88 under Sofia Vives.
"There were a couple options today, and we just had to play the break,” said Vives. “Once the doors open, Plan A, B and C sometimes go out the window, and you got to go to your own plan.
“But Patches is a pro. He knows what to do if we think there's speed, he hears us and he says, ‘I'm faster.’ And today, he did just that.”
Remuda closed on the inside for second money with War Bomber (IRE) a length back in third after stalking the pace.
Ironstone, I’m A Gambler (IRE), Last American Exit, and Rockcrest rounded out the order of finish.
Patches O’Houlihan now has won 10 of 12 starts, including seven stakes, and is 3-for-3 this season under his new rider Vives.
“He's amazing,” said trainer Robert Tiller. “He's a freak of nature – I really believe he’s getting better. So, I'm very thrilled, and it's just wonderful, he's just amazing.”
Tiller now has won the Vigil six times, the first four with Pink Lloyd (2017-2020), now a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame along with his conditioner.
Patches O’Houlihan paid $3.60 for the win.
Twin B Joe Fresh completed the sweep of Woodbine’s marquee pacing mare events for 2024 with a victory in Saturday’s $205,000 Milton Stakes.
A winner of June’s Roses Are Red, Twin B Joe Fresh had all eyes on her as the 1/9 favourite against five of the sport’s finest mares.
Leaving from the rail, Twin B Joe Fresh scooted out to get away second behind rival Sylvia Hanover, who posted a :27.1 opening panel. Driver and co-owner Dexter Dunn moved ‘Joe Fresh’ around to the lead in the second-quarter to post a reasonable half of :56.
With the ball in her court, Twin B Joe Fresh kicked things up on the far turn with a :27.2 third-quarter before unleashing as easy of a :25.4 final-quarter as possible to win in 1:49.1.
Not to be forgotten, Sylvia Hanover finished very strong right behind the winner to edge Silver Label for the place position. Prohibition Legal finished fourth.
“She felt great, post parade tonight was probably the best she felt all year,” said Dunn of Twin B Joe Fresh. “She’s extremely bright at the moment, she’s feeling good and I was really happy with her going to the gate.”
A four-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe, Twin B Joe Fresh is trained by Chris Ryder, who shares ownership with Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. She’s now won eight of nine starts this season to earn nearly $700,000.
Saturday’s win was the 27th career score for ‘Joe Fresh’ to take her over $2.1 million in career earnings.
A $2 win ticket on Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.20.