Kin's Concerto, whose lone previous victory came via disqualification, made it to the line first for the first time with a stylish victory in the Woodbine Oaks Saturday afternoon. The chestnut filly sat just off the pace while skimming the rail through fractions of :23.78 and :47.96. Behind a wall of horses at the top of the lane, Kin's Concerto angled to the center of the track in upper stretch and closed relentlessly to hit the front in the final strides.
“We just wanted to break in early position,” said Sofia Vives, who partnered Cruden Bay to victory one race earlier in the GII Connaught Cup. “We wound up right on the rail. Perfect trip in the turn, I got to get into a two-path, followed the horse that I thought was going to be a tough one, it opened up all the holes, and we shot right through.
“She's a very, very talented filly, and she's always shined bright in my eyes,” the apprentice rider continued. “It's pretty exciting for this to happen in your lifetime, but to happen as a bug, I think it's pretty special.”
Trainer Josie Carroll, one win away from reaching 1,000 for her career, lauded both Vives and Kin's Concerto.
“This young lady has improved leaps and bounds this year,” Carroll said. “She suits this filly very, very much. She listens to instructions, which is what I really like about her. She does exactly what she's asked to do. She was told to sit quiet on this filly, not get in her head and treat it like another race. You know, put the filly in the position that she needed to be in and then have confidence in her and she did just that.”
Kin's Concerto finished second, but was promoted to the win in her six-furlong debut over Woodbine's Tapeta last November. She returned with a runner-up effort over the turf at Gulfstream in February and, back on the Woodbine Tapeta, was third in a seven-furlong optional claimer May 11 and second by just a head when stretched to 1 1/16 miles last time out June 22.
“She's always shown some talent, she's just had some unfortunate luck,” Carroll said of Kin's Concerto. “Different things that have gone wrong and problems in races. A horse that closes and hooks big fields and has to get through–it's always a challenge.”
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Rob Landry, who rode three Oaks winners, now has five Oaks to his name, after Nipissing's 2013 triumph and Kin's Concerto's victory, the latter two in his role as Chiefswood's General Manager.
“She just shows you the signs and Josie's team has done a tremendous job with her as well,” Landry said. “Sofia rode her great. It was well deserved. I'm happy for the owners, they put a lot into this game and especially when you're in the breeding operation, these types of races are really big.”
Kin's Concerto is the final foal out of Kincardine, who died in 2023. The mare was a half-sister to graded winner Essential Edge (Storm Cat) and to the dam of multiple graded winner Flameaway (Scat Daddy). Under the winner's third dam, Flame of Tara, is the likes of Salsabil (Ire) and Marju (Ire).
The Woodbine Oaks has served as a King's Plate stepping-stone for several fillies, with the list of Oaks-Plate winners including Moira (2022), Holy Helena (2017), Lexie Lou (2014), Inglorious (2011) and Dancethruthedawn (2001). In 2018, Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot went on to win The King's Plate.
A decision on whether to run this Oaks winner in the Plate will take place in the coming days.
“The owners and I will speak and then I'll speak to Josie,” said Landry, who won the 2004 Plate with Chiefswood homebred Niigon. “We're just going to let her cool out and see where it goes from here. We personally haven't had a lot of luck running fillies in the Plate, but a lot of people have. Obviously, you've got to think long and hard about it. We're going to do what's right by the filly.” Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY STELLA ARTOIS, C$503,000, Woodbine, 7-20, (C), 3yo, f, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:51.18, ft.
1–KIN'S CONCERTO, 121, f, 3, by Mendelssohn
1st Dam: Kincardine, by Fusaichi Pegasus
2nd Dam: Rose of Tara (Ire), by Generous (Ire)
3rd Dam: Flame of Tara (Ire), by Artaius
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON);
T-Josie Carroll; J-Sofia Vives. C$300,000. Lifetime Record:
5-2-2-1, $291,955.
2–Caitlinhergrtness, 121, f, 3, Omaha Beach–Belatrix, by Giant's
Causeway. ($65,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP; $375,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Siena
Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Jesse Korona (ON); T-Kevin
Attard. C$100,000.
3–Hurricane Clair, 121, f, 3, Silent Name (Jpn)–Hurricane
Lorraine, by Weather Warning. (C$35,000 Ylg '22 CANSEP).
O-David Rowbotham, Rodney Carpenter & Tony Boogmans;
B-Bru-Mel Stables Co. (ON); T-Martin Drexler. C$50,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.75, 3.35, 8.35.
Also Ran: A Little Frisky, Lunch With Bernie, War Painter, My Girl Della, Vucchella, Ba Dee Yah, Shamans Girl, Lookin to Conquer, Inudation, Holiday in Jail, Bravo Kate. Scratched: Beautiful Sky.
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