A look at some of the top highlights from the past weekend of racing at Woodbine. Bring in the Closers Rider Daisuke Fukumoto and trainer Robert Tiller rounded out the nine-race Saturday afternoon card at Woodbine by sweeping the final two contests. A coast-to-coast winner from 4-year-old filly Maximum Fifty ($14.60) in race eight set the stage for Fukumoto and Tiller before the pair extended their contemporaries’ drought with veteran gelding One More Brew in the ninth ($12.60). Tiller opened the day with a victory in race one (Back River) to finish with three overall. Sheer Will Ready for Shirl and rider Emma-Jayne Wilson stunned short-priced favourite Gimme a Nother (SAF) and the Woodbine faithful with a thrilling comeback effort to take Sunday afternoon’s $200,000 Canadian Stakes (G2T) presented by The Japan Racing Association. Ready for Shirl and Emma-Jayne Wilson. Michael Burns Photography Charging from second-last in the field of six, the More Than Ready–Perfect Shirl filly came from the clouds to secure her first career graded stakes victory. Trained by dual Hall of Famer Roger Attfield for owner/breeder Charles Fipke, Ready for Shirl successfully took the baton from her mother, who finished second in the 2011 running of the Canadian, and paid $14.50. A Winning Vision An 11-month layoff proved no problem for Cruden Bay, who repeated as champion of the $175,000 Connaught Cup (G2T) presented by bet365. Working with rider Fraser Aebly, the veteran Big Screen colt showed impressive poise deep into the seven-furlong affair before pulling away for the confident 1 ½-length score at 9-1. Cruden Bay and Fraser Aebly. Michael Burns Photography. Bred by Spring Farm and owned by Michael Lay, the Don MacRae trainee surpassed $500,000 lifetime with the win. Cruden Bay paid $20.20. Casse Time Everything came up Casse in the 70th running of the $500,000 Stella Artois Woodbine Oaks. Headlined by a 3 ¾-length triumph from No Time ($15.50), the dual Hall of Fame conditioner swept the board on Sunday afternoon to earn a record-tying fifth Oaks victory – his first since Elysian Field in 2023. Aboard No Time was another Hall of Famer, in two-time Eclipse Award-winning rider John Velazquez, who piloted the daughter of Not This Time–Count to Three to her first stakes title. The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Triple Tiara series which consists of the Bison City Stakes (August 9) and Wonder Where Stakes (September 6), both also at Woodbine. Boo! Sedburys Ghost, under Ryan Munger, powered home to win the $150,000 Plate Trial on Sunday. Trained by Barb Minshall for owner and breeder Yawen Wu, the son of 2015 Plate winner Shaman Ghost is now 3-0-1 from five starts. The chestnut gelding paid $16.80 for the win. Sedburys Ghost and Ryan Munger. Michael Burns Photography. Stay tuned Live racing continues Saturday and Sunday. Post time for both days is 1:05 p.m. Share This:Share
