A wide-open Woodbine Oaks part of stellar stakes-filled Sunday 

TORONTO, July 17, 2025 – Twelve fillies, including five Mark Casse trainees, will vie for top prize in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois, one of four stakes on Sunday’s 10-race card at Woodbine. ​ ​

Inaugurated in 1956, the filly classic, for Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds over one mile and one-eighth on the main track, will go postward at 5:20 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live – along with the Plate Trial – on Sportsnet One from 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET. The winning connections will receive $300,000. ​

Sunday’s card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of The King’s Plate (August 16), the $200,000 Canadian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T), and the $175,000 bet365 Connaught Cup (G2T).

Dual hall of fame trainer Mark Casse will send out the quintet of Ella It Is, No Time, Shifty, War Signal, and Winterberry.

Ella It Is, 2-2-0 from eight starts ($86,298 in purse earnings), will make her fifth career stakes appearance when she goes postward on Sunday.

The daughter of Point of Entry out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Our Ella finished second in both the Victorian Queen and South Ocean last year, and was seventh, albeit just 3 ½ lengths behind the winner, in the 2024 running of the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

Ella It Is debuted last July and finished seventh but rebounded with a smart two-length score in a 6 ½-furlong main track race, also at the Toronto oval, that was originally scheduled for the turf.

The bay, who notched a sharp 3 ¾-length win at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track on June 1, heads into the Oaks off a seventh in the Selene Stakes (G3) on June 28.

“She has shown she can run well,” said Casse. “She has to step up her game now. This will be a test for her. She is really only one of my fillies in this race who can settle.”

René and Darlene Hunderup (Heste Sport Inc.) bred and own Ella It Is. Working out of their home base, Norse Ridge Farms, in King, Ontario, northeast of Woodbine, the couple has enjoyed great success over the years as breeders and owners of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

Prince Parris is the groom.

No Time, a daughter of Not This Time out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three, arrives at the Oaks off a fourth in the Selene (G3).

One race prior, on June 1 at Woodbine, the dark bay ran unfettered on the lead as the 5-2 choice in a 1 1/16-mile main track race and crossed the wire four lengths clear of her nearest rival in 1:44.24.

“I think No Time is a sleeper,” said Casse, of the filly who has amassed $105,473 in purse earnings. “I think she has a very good pedigree – both her and Shifty have very nice pedigrees. She is not easy to ride. She is another one that if she is happy, she is going to be tough. Johnny Velazquez is going to ride her for us.”

Steadied sharply in her career bow last August when she was eighth, No Time won next time out in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on September 14.

She brings a record of 2-0-1 from seven starts into her fourth stakes (fourth, elevated to third, in the Cup & Saucer, eighth in the Mazarine (G3), both last year) appearance.

Bred by James Everatt, Janeane Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, No Time was a $250,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

Prince Parris is the groom.

Shifty, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, debuted on the E.P. Taylor on July 4, 2024, and showed late energy to finish fifth in a field of seven after breaking slowly.

In seven career starts, she sports a 2-0-2 mark ($152,037 in purse earnings), highlighted by an impressive 3 ¼-length win in the 2024 Catch A Glimpse Stakes. Sent off at 11-1, the bay filly drew off with authority to secure her first stakes success.

After winning her 3-year-old debut on May 11, Shifty was third in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, on June 7.

“Shifty is probably the most talented [of the group],” said Casse. “She has her quirks. If she can settle and get into a good rhythm, she will be tough. She’s very talented.”

By Medaglia d’Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Luci, Shifty was bred by Anderson Farm Ontario Inc. and sold for $350,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale.

Bred and owned by Gary Barber, War Signal is 2-0-1 from six starts, accompanied by $98,527 in purse earnings. Fourth in her debut last May, she finished third in the Shady Well Stakes on November 23.

She broke her maiden in her third start, a dominant 4 ¼-length victory at one mile and 70 yards over the Woodbine main track on December 7.

War Signal made it two straight winner’s circle trips when she posted a 2 ¼-length victory in her 3-year-old debut. Sent on her way as the 6-5 choice, she covered one mile and 70 yards over the Gulfstream all-weather surface in 1:40.32.

The bay was seventh in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes on May 1 at Woodbine and sixth, just two lengths behind the winner Mansetti, when she took on the boys in the 1 1/16-mile Marine Stakes (G3) on June 28.

“She ran well in the Marine,” said Casse. “It was against colts, and I thought she hung in there. She is a horse who I would have said this winter was our best chance to win the Oaks. She disappointed me a little bit in the Ruling Angel, but her race in the Marine was pretty good. She is another one who likes to be up close to the lead.” ​

After a fifth in the Star Shoot Stakes on April 26 to start her sophomore season, Winterberry was back on the winning track courtesy of a strong showing in the Fury.

Winterberry had a winning debut last August, a 5 ½-length victory at 6 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track. Next time out, she was sixth in the Grade 1 Summer, at one mile on the E.P. Taylor turf.

The dark bay rebounded with a three-quarter length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes on October 13 and closed out her rookie campaign with a fifth in the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes on November 23.

Winterberry, a daughter of Frosted out of the Bellamy Road mare Dreams Are Free, brings a record of 3-0-0 from six starts into the Oaks.

“She is interesting in that we thought all along that she was a sprinter,” said Casse, of the filly with $168,030 in purse earnings. “But she has really matured. She was scratched twice before she ever ran because of her antics. I talked to Patrick (jockey, Husbands) the other day after he worked her, and he told me that she is a different horse. I know that he is excited about her running.

“Winterberry may keep going. She is coming into the Oaks better than ever. I am still not 100 per cent sure she can get the mile and an eighth, but she is very talented.”

Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., Winterberry was a $210,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.

Ivan “Billy” Forde is the groom.

Casse has won the Oaks on four occasions, one shy of the record held by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Jim Day.

“With all our fillies, the questions is the mile and an eighth,” said Casse, whose latest victory in the race came in 2023 with Elysian Field. “It’s going to be how they settle early. If any of them settle, they are going to run well – they are going to be tough.

“Every rider is going to do their own thing. I am not giving any instructions. I think the break is going to be very important and how each rider can get their horse to settle going into the first turn.”

Aristella, last year’s Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner, stakes placed Crystal Visions, maiden D’aurum, Innisfree Isle, who broke her maiden last time out, multiple stakes placed Nata Trouble, R Canadian Apple, third in her debut, and Reveler’s Row, a first-time out winner, round out the field.

The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues at the Toronto oval with the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 Bison City Stakes on August 9 and concludes with the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine inner turf on September 6. ​

First post for Sunday is 1:05 p.m. The wagering menu for the Woodbine Oaks includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, and $1 Swinger. Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.com. ​

There will be free Woodbine Oaks programs for the first 500 guests on Sunday (one per person).

$500,000 Woodbine Oaks – Race 9

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer ​ ​

1 – War Signal – Sofia Vives – Mark Casse

2 – Nata Trouble – David Moran – Willie Armata

3 – Ella It Is – Jose Campos – Mark Casse

4 – Innisfree Isle – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips

5 – Shifty – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse

6 – R Canadian Apple – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mike De Paulo

7 – Reveler’s Row – Pietro Moran – Katerina Vassilieva

8 – No Time – John Velazquez – Mark Casse

9 – Crystal Visions – Ryan Munger – Stuart Simon

10 – Aristella – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden

11 – Winterberry – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

12 – D’aurum – Daisuke Fukumoto – Kevin Attard

Chris Lomon, Woodbine