Woodbine

Just one week removed from a victory in the GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes by Howard Wolowitz (Munnings), Al Gold's Gold Square LLC was again front and center in top-level competition when Full Count Felicia (War Front) kept up a relentless gallop beneath Kazushi Kimura and proved not for catching in Saturday's GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. Intent on securing the front, even given the presence of the fleet-footed defending champion Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), the $85,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was already well clear rounding...

Trainer Mark Casse had won the GI Natalma Stakes no fewer than seven times dating back to Woodford Racing's Sprung (Grand Slam) back in 2006, but he had not succeeded since 2016, when Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate) carried the silks of Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Stud. The Hall of Famer had every chance to add to that total and snap the drought in Saturday's renewal, as he saddled six of the 11 juvenile fillies that went postward, and when all was said and done, the stable accounted for the...

Leading the graded stakes action on Saturday, there is something gruff and boomy about the barbaric 'yalp' of the European invaders who are set to swarm Woodbine's gates on Turf Champions Day. One can understand this hoard's verve as the booty is worth pillaging since three out of the four Grade I races on the docket are connected to some highly-prized Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' tickets.   Euros Wind Trebuchets Out of this auspicious Canadian slate, first up is the GI Natalma Stakes which offers entry into the...

5th-Woodbine, C$73,722, Msw, 9-8, 2yo, 5fT, :57.43, gd, 1 1/4 lengths. TAPIT KISSIT WINIT (c, 2, Tapit--Let It Ride Mom {GSW-Can, GSP-USA, $380,501}, by Into Mischief), sent off the 8-5 second choice for his debut, broke awkwardly as favored Crucial Taunt (Karakontie {Jpn}) rushed to the front while Springer (Complexity) completely blew the start, checking out early. Settled into a track fourth as the pacesetter raced through a quarter in :22.17, the Live Oak homebred began to pick up the tempo as Miss Mitole (Mitole) bolted and threw out the...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Zulu Kingdom at Saratoga.   Ten Sovereigns's Zulu Kingdom Best In With Anticipation The undefeated Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) made his American bow in style to take the GIII With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga by a neck on Aug. 29 (video). The Chad Brown trainee races in the silks of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso. Ecurie Peregrine SAS...

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) Yearling Sale (Ontario division) concluded Wednesday, Aug. 28 with increases in average and median over the 2023 edition, while a colt by Nyquist topped the sale when bringing $250,000. The topper, consigned by Bernard and Karen McCormack of Cara Bloodstock, went to Clay Scherer, agent. The colt (hip 88) is out of Mrs. Hudson (Street Cry {Ire}) and was bred by David Anderson of Anderson Farms. He is a half to SW Airosa (Uncle Mo), while his dam is out of MGSW Sara Louise...

Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl-winning tight end Travis Kelce, along with the Zoldan family, have acquired a significant share of Team Valor International's interest in Gary Barber's Swift Delivery (Not This Time), Team Valor's Barry Irwin announced Tuesday. The Zoldan family have been members of Team Valor's syndicates for nearly four decades, including as partners in 2011 GI Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Bruce Zoldan, founder and CEO of Phantom Fireworks, attended this year's Derby along with Ohio native Kelce, who is friends with Zoldan's son, Alex. Irwin said the...

The King's Plate race card, rescheduled to Friday following torrential rains on its originally scheduled date last Saturday, produced total wagering handle of $11.6 million. The three-day weekend total handle was $24.5 million. "After Mother Nature had other plans for us last weekend, Friday was picture perfect for the King's Plate and the racing was outstanding," said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine. "We couldn't have pulled off such a memorable day without the tremendous support of our racing fans, racing participants and entire Woodbine team." With the original King's Plate...

The betting public pounded D J Stable's previously undefeated Bullet (War Front) into 3-5 favoritism for Friday's Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine, but it was the same outfit's uncoupled SHIFTY (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--Elusive Luci, by Elusive Quality) who spoiled the party at odds of 11-1. Given her chance in stakes company off a slow-starting fifth in a six-furlong maiden July 4, the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling emerged from a line of about five or six horses to take up the running down the backstretch and led them along...

Perhaps done in by a two-week turnaround when just beaten in the July 20 Woodbine Oaks, Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) proved possibly the biggest beneficiary of the six-day postponement of the C$1-million King's Plate, clawing her way past heavily favored My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) in the final 40 yards. The $375,000 OBS April breezer was off at 9-1 in the King's Plate--a race in which the fillies had more than held their own against their male counterparts--and took up a forward position from between horses...

Friday is shaping up to be quite a stakes-laden slate as the rescheduled King's Plate card from last weekend at Woodbine joins the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga and a pair of pricey Grade IIs from Charles Town. TDN's full coverage of the races that were forced to move because of a deluge in Toronto can be found in Patrycja Szpyra's preview, plus a piece on the King's Plate by Bill Finley. As for the Spa feature, it boasts a set of intriguing match-ups between four of the runners...

Following storms and torrential rain in the Toronto area Saturday afternoon, Woodbine decided to cancel the remainder of Saturday's 13-race King's Plate card. The track conducted the first five races on the undercard before forcing to cancel because of inclement weather. According to a statement by Woodbine on X this afternoon, "In the interest of safety for our horses and horse people, Woodbine Entertainment has cancelled the remainder of Saturday's live racing card due to unsafe racing conditions caused by heavy rains in the Greater Toronto Area." Saturday's card has...