Woodbine

With the Medina Spirit (Protonico) positive, the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf debacle, the on-going saga of Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis and the rest and the closing of Arlington Park, it's been another tough year for horse racing. This game sure can get you down at times. But we will always have the horse. These beautiful, athletic, noble, graceful animals, they always find a way to make you feel good about the sport. Which is why so many people were smiling and cheering Saturday at Woodbine as Pink Lloyd (Old...

The Minkster (English Channel) looks to take his record to three-for-three in Woodbine's GIII Grey S. Sunday. Romping by 6 1/4 lengths in his career bow on the Woodbine turf Oct. 2, the bay took to a route of ground with ease, capturing the nine-furlong Coronation Futurity S. on the synthetic here four weeks later. Kevin Attard sends out two here in Hicksy (Hootenanny) and Be Like Clint (Point of Entry). A dominant second-out graduate on the local main track Oct. 3, Hicksy captured the Display S. at this oval...

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...

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...

'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) made a successful transition to the Tapeta track Saturday, racing away to a convincing score in the GII Bessarabian S., remaining unbeaten from four starts in the process. The Fipke homebred, whose prior victories include the GI Natalma S. over the local turf course last season, wired a Sept. 6 turf allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs, but was scratched after becoming fractious in the gate ahead of the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Oct. 16 at Keeneland and was a trainer scratch prior...

'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), three-for-three on turf to start her career, will try all-weather racing for the first time Saturday at Woodbine, going seven furlongs on the Tapeta in the GII Bessarabian S. A sharp 3 3/4-length frontrunning winner debuting on the local turf last August to earn her 'Rising Star' badge, the Chuck Fipke homebred quickly backed up that distinction with a score in the GI Natalma S. The chestnut was sidelined for nearly a year after that, however, before returning with an optional claiming success in...

Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Hugo Dittfach passed away at the age of 85. A refugee from East Germany, Dittfach spent three years in a Russian concentration camp in Poland during World War II before emigrating to Canada. He began his riding career in 1956 and was a leading rider in Western Canada before relocating to Ontario. Dittfach won the 1961 Queen's Plate aboard 20-1 longshot Blue Light. The pair just edged the world's leading race-winning jockey Johnny Longden and race-favorite Just Don't Shove in one of the closest finishes...

Hicksy became the first black-type winner for his GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf-winning freshman sire Hootenanny Saturday in Woodbine's Display S. Fourth on debut over the local synthetic Sept. 12, he rebounded with a six-length demolition next out at this oval Oct. 3, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. Keeping a watchful eye on the leading favorite from second through a :46.10 half-mile, the bay swept up alongside the chalk in the final sixteenth and edged clear to score. The winner is the first foal out of Fantastic Score, whose...

Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) returned to the site of her win in the GII Dance Smartly S. two months ago to capture the GI E.P. Taylor S. and secure the win in the Ladies of the Lawn series at Woodbine Sunday. The 8-1 shot, four wide into the first turn, tracked pacesetting Kalifornia Queen (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who set a pedestrian pace over the rain-soaked turf course. Mutamakina eyeballed the pacesetter entering the stretch, while a host of rivals piled up to her outside and...

Etoile (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a narrow winner of the 2020 GI E. P. Taylor S., is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to repeat in Sunday's renewal at Woodbine. A Group 3 winner in her native land for Jean-Claude Rouget, she brought 750,000gns from Peter Brant, Mrs. M. V. Magnier and Mrs. Paul Shanahan at the 2019 TATDEC sale and was transferred to Chad Brown for a North American campaign. Second as the favorite in last term's GII Dance Smartly S., she went one better for a career high next out in...

Woodbine Entertainment has opened the "Finish Line O&T Lounge" at Woodbine Racetrack. Located at the wire in the second level of the grandstand, the area is exclusively for owners, trainers and assistant trainers during live race days. Food, beverages, free programs, wagering terminals, and customer service assistants will be available inside the lounge on each racing day. A special ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Saturday, Oct. 16.

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 7:03 p.m. ET SIR LONDON (Malibu Moon) was led out unsold on a bid of $135,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, but improved over the next 17 months and was knocked down to agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy for $700,000 after breezing a furlong on his wrong lead in :10 flat (see below) at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale. The priciest of 24 juveniles (32 ring) for his late sire in 2021, Sir London is a...