Canadian Sales Stakes crowns four winners

TORONTO, August 27, 2023 – Woodbine’s Sunday card of racing showcased graduates of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s sales competing for over $600,000 in purses across four stakes events.  

Canadian-foaled rookies tackled 6 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta in the $200,000 Simcoe Stakes for colts and geldings, and the filly companion $200,000 Muskoka Stakes. The $100,000 Elgin Stakes, for colts and geldings, and matching $100,000 Algoma for fillies, both over seven panels on the Tapeta, highlighted 3-year-olds foaled in Canada.

Muskoka Stakes

Hurricane Clair, under Sahin Civaci, stormed home for a convincing score in Sunday’s $200,000 Muskoka Stakes Presented by bet365 at Woodbine.

After a solid third-place debut in a six-furlong Tapeta race on July 29, the daughter of Silent Name (JPN)-Hurricane Lorraine stepped up with a huge performance in her second start.

Hurricane Clair, trained by Martin Drexler, sat near mid-pack through early opening splits of :22.65 and :46.15 set by Vandoo before unleashing a powerful turn of foot down the lane, seizing control mid-stretch and then going on to a 5 ¼-length win in a time of 1:18.46. Saucy Name and Vandoo, both trained by Kevin Attard, were second and third, respectively. Jimmy’s Affair was fourth.

“I thought we’d be a bit closer, but I think she might have lost an iron,” said Drexler. “I have to look at it again. I know she got into a bit of a mess there at the beginning, so I think that’s what cost her a little bit of position, but it worked out fine.”

A $35,000 CDN ($26,732 US) purchase at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Hurricane Clair is owned by David Rowbotham, Rodney Carpenter, and Tony Boogmans.

The bay was bred by Bru-Mel Stables Co.

Sent off as the even-money choice, Hurricane Clair returned $4.30 for the win.

Elgin Stakes

Rapid Test earned top marks in his first stakes appearance, finding daylight in the latter stages to take Sunday’s $100,000 Elgin Stakes Presented by HPIbet in impressive fashion.

Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, who co-owns (Kingfield Racing Stable Ltd.) with Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds, the dark bay son of Souper Speedy-Arch Tigress came into his latest test off an equally impressive victory on August 6, a 1 ½-length triumph also at seven panels on the Tapeta.

On Sunday, Rapid Test didn’t get an ideal start and sat sixth after an opening quarter in :22.41 set by Kinetic Stone. Still sixth after a half in :45.06, jockey Kazushi Kimura positioned the 3-year-old bay along the rail as the field turned for home.

With plenty of work still, Kimura found a seam and moved the gelding off the rail. It proved to be the winning move as the pair struck front just after the stretch call and powered on to a 1 ¼-length victory.

The final time was 1:23.10 for seven furlongs.

“Before today, he really impressed in the last race and finished up really strong,” said Kimura. “Today, it was a little bit busy to stay up, there were so many frontrunners. He exploded again and impressed me again.”

Bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, Rapid Test, a $22,000 CDN ($17,440 US) purchase at the 2021 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, won his debut this May before consecutive fourth-place efforts.

“He appeared to have a good mind, a nice strong walk, and a nice eye,” said Day Phillips, of what caught her eye when she saw Rapid Test at the sale.

Now, he departs the Elgin on a two-race win streak.

Rapid Test paid $4.10 for the win.

Algoma Stakes

Souper Sinclair, with Jose Campos in the irons, got up in the last jump to best a gutsy Zana in a thrilling edition of the $100,000 Algoma Stakes Presented by HPIbet, Sunday at Woodbine.

Trained by Philip Hall, the daughter of Souper Speedy-She Stands Proud, had a pair of thirds from five starts this season heading into the seven-furlong Algoma.

It was longshot Tamana who set the early tone, taking the field through an opening quarter in :23.06 and a half in :48.66, with little movement in the seven-horse field.

Sent off as the even-money choice, Souper Sinclair was gobbling up ground in the late stages and somehow found a way to eke out a nose score over a game Zana, who had assumed command coming off the turn for home and then streaked away from her rivals. Great Kate was third and Rocket Riley was fourth.

The final time was 1:25.03.

“I knew I had a chance to win the race,” said Campos. “That other horse (Zana), I thought was never going to stop. I tried with everything I had, and finally, I caught it.”

“The distance was good for her,” added Hall. “She wants to go further. I was pointing for this race for a while.”

It was the fifth stakes race for Souper Sinclair, whose best previous finish was a second in last year’s Muskoka Stakes.

She paid $4 for the win.

Bred by the Estate of Gus Schickedanz, and owned by Praven Sorenson and the Estate of Dennis Tucker, Souper Sinclair was a $31,000 CDN ($24,575 US) at the 2021 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.

“This is for Dennis too,” said Hall, of Tucker, who passed away two months ago. “Dennis gave me a lot of nice horses, so I appreciate that. Get out and buy an Ontario-bred.”

Simcoe Stakes

It appears the tandem of owner Gary Barber and dual hall of fame conditioner Mark Casse have another superstar on their hands after My Boy Prince dominated 10 rivals with a head-turning performance in Sunday’s $200,000 Simcoe Stakes Presented by bet365,

One week after Paramount Prince, trained by Casse and co-owned by Barber (along with Mike Langlois won the 164^th edition of The King’s Plate, My Boy Prince put on a show of his own at Woodbine.

Sent off at 1-5, the roan son of Cairo Prince-Hopping Not Hoping broke alertly and grabbed the lead, reaching the opening quarter in :23.01 and a half in :45.73.

Comfortably on top making the turn for home, jockey Sahin Civaci and My Boy Prince then put on a regal performance, skipping away from their pursuers with the greatest of ease. Ahead by 6 ½ lengths at Robert Geller’s stretch call, the duo crossed the wire 14 lengths the best in a time of 1:15.48. Yacht Boy was second, Summer Commander was third, and Valyrian Sky finished fourth.

“He’s tremendously nice,” praised Civaci. “He improved a lot from his last race and he just seems to be getting better and better. I like to play the break with these types of races. There could be some cheap speed that might try to go really fast, so I broke out really well. I didn’t feel that much pressure. He was handling it really easy. When it was time to go, he just took off.”

After a second in his career bow on May 21, My Boy Prince broke his maiden in his next start, on June 18, a six-length scorcher over five furlongs on the Tapeta.

My Boy Prince, bred by Murray Smith, was the sales-topper at the 2022 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. The colt sold for $115,000 CDN ($87,835 US).

He paid $2.40 for the Simcoe win.

The 2023 CTHS Ontario Canadian premier yearling sale begins at noon Wednesday with a catalogue of 252 at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion.

Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms