Weekend Winners Club

.
Thursday October 11, Woodbine Ontario
.
Woodbine race course is having a big day Saturday October 13, as some horses are making their last minute case to get into the Breeders’ Cup, and others are simply trying to win one of 4 graded stakes or one of the other 7 races on the card. Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races are over as of yesterday, but horses can still get in based on graded stakes wins, in which G1 races count the most obviously. And this would be the last weekend to reasonably do so since we only have 3 weeks left.
.

.
Stakes racing starts in race 3 with the Ontario Derby G3, with a 7 horse field that seems fairly wide open. So far Lookin to Strike has proven the best on this distance and polytrack surface, and has good value at 6-1, but he will have fellow front runner and ML favorite Mr Ritz gunning for him early.
.
Fast forward to race 7, the Nearctic G2 turf sprint. It’s quite possible 1 or 2 of these will make it into the BC Turf Sprint. Favored Yorkton is a graded stakes winner as of his last time out, but has struggled on turf for whatever reason. Ikerrin Road could be back into that form that made him a graded stakes winner here a year ago. Holding Gold and Lady Alexandra have stakes wins but not in graded races. Hembree looked great after cutting back to turf sprint and could dominate at this distance. The late pace of Conquest Panthera will have to be reckoned with.
.
In race 9, 11 horses will take the field in the Pattison Canadian International G1 12f on turf. I was all about Johnny Bear in his last race out, a 16-1 win in the Northern Dancer G1 right here at Woodbine at the same distance. I don’t see any reason to dismount him here but the race is more competitive. There are 3 foreign invaders with multiple graded wins, led by the formidable favorite Thundering Blue. Tiz a Slam and Funtastic could have nice runs with little other speed in the race. This race can be used as a last minute springboard for the BC Turf, also at 12f.
.
Race 10 is the EP Taylor G1 for fillies and mares, going 10f on turf, a race that could be used to enter the BC Filly and Mare turf, which was at 9f last year. Four foreign fillies look very solid, all stakes winners, especially the young 3yo Pollara, with a total of 3 lifetime races, including a G3 win last out in June. Favored Santa Monica magically started winning races after shipping to the US this year. American mares Starship Jubilee and Elysea’s World would love to add a G1 win to their various G2 and G3 wins.
.
That’s it for the graded stakes breakdown at Woodbine this weekend.

Download the Woodbine Saturday Grid here to follow along and WIN at the races.
.
Good luck my friend!
.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS