Inside the Barns: Attard, Simon, MacRae and Ross Prep for Stakes Saturday

This Saturday at Woodbine showcases three prestigious graded stakes turf events. The Canadian International is a Grade I race, with numerous horses from North America, South America, and Europe participating. The race showcases the talent of 3-year-olds and upwards and is a mile and a half on the turf.

The Nearctic Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a Grade 2 race, contested at five furlongs on the turf.

The bet365 Dance Smartly Stakes is the other Grade 2 race of the day, showcasing 3-year-old fillies and up fillies at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.

Four trainers share their insights about their day-to-day with their horses ahead of the exciting racing day.

Caitlinhergrtness is competing in the Dance Smartly Stakes. The 4-year-old filly is trained by Kevin Attard and owned by WinStar Farm LLC. Caitlinhergrtness won the 2024 King’s Plate and has competed in multiple graded stakes, winning the Grade 3 Belle Mahone Stakes and Ontario Matron Stakes, respectively. In 2024, she won the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Sovereign Award.

“She does everything very professionally,” praised Attard. “She’s very calm and cool in her stall, kind of stays mentally focused in that way. Once her hoof steps on the racetrack, I think she knows to bring it up a level. I think that’s what makes her a good competitor.

“She really likes to compete. In the stall, she’s nice and chill and very cuddly in a sense, loves attention. But on the racetrack, she’s all business.”

Caitlinhergrtness doesn’t only share her name with WNBA star, Caitlin Clark, she also shares her competitiveness and immense talent.

“I would have to say in their respective sports, they’re obviously one of the best at what they do. In my opinion, Caitlinhergrtness is the best filly that we have at Woodbine on synthetic. I don’t watch women’s basketball much, but I know a bit about Caitlin Clark and how she’s a fierce competitor, obviously very good at what she does. I think they both share those attributes.”

Attard has a soft spot for the champion filly.

“Every time we’ve run her, she’s given her best. Been pretty consistent. Definitely her being a King’s Plate winner, she’s a little bit more special to me. She’s been a horse that’s been sound and loves to train, and it’s been a pleasure having her.”

Western Whirl, who will contest the Nearctic Stakes, is trained by Stuart Simon and owned by Chiefswood Stables Limited. Fraser Aebly is set to ride.

“He’s been a real improved horse this season. We did geld him at the end of last year, and I think it’s helped him a lot. He’s matured, and he’s become a real professional racehorse. He continues to improve and become a better horse each month. We don’t know for sure he’ll like the inner turf; we’ve never run him on it. But we don’t know that he doesn’t like it either, so it’s worth taking a chance and seeing where we’re at with him.”

Since he’s become a gelding, Western Whirl has become more focused.

“He’s become more forward and more focused on running. It’s helped him mature all the way around and become a better racehorse.

“He just goes fast easily, and he’s got such a good turn of foot.”

The gelding knows exactly when it’s race day.

“He’s all business and no fooling around when he knows he’s racing. He becomes a little more aggressive and a little more cranky; he gets his game face on early.

“He’s in very good order. We’re kind of taking a shot, but you don’t know until you try. It’s kind of a specialty race – inner turf, five furlongs. We don’t know that he isn’t good at it, so it’s kind of worth taking the chance.”

Light the Lamp is trained by Donald MacRae and owned by Keowee Racing Stable and D-Mac Racing Stable, Inc. For the Nearctic Stakes, Pietro Moran will be the jockey.

Light the Lamp’s consistency over his racing career is what has impressed MacRae the most.

“Every time you lead him over there, he puts out a solid effort. Last year, he was an unlucky horse in a bunch of his races, but I would say consistency is his number one attribute.”

MacRae has noticed that the gelding has matured.

“He’s a very cool character to be around. As a youngster, he was a bit of a hellion, but he’s really transformed into a professional horse, and he loves his job.”

Occasionally on the morning of the race, the gelding can get antsy, but in the moments leading up to the race, Light the Lamp puts his game face on.

“Most cases, he’s pretty good. He can get feeling good in the stall. But when it comes to game time, he’s all professional; he knows his job. He goes over there and is very well behaved in the paddock. He knows he’s supposed to be ready to run and do the best that he can.”

MacRae likens Light the Lamp to a former NHL player.

“I would have to think like a Tie Domi. He was a bit of a scrapper; he liked going into the corners, and he’s never afraid to do that, and he knows how to light the lamp.”

Its Time to Shine is an Ontario-bred colt trained by John Ross and owned by JC Stable, Rijack Farm and Jim Aston. Jose Campos is the jockey for the Nearctic Stakes.

Ross is impressed the most by how Its Time to Shine breaks from the gate.

“His acceleration from the gate… what I like about him is speed from the gate, going five-eighths in particular.”

According to Ross, Its Time to Shine understands his job as a racehorse and loves to do it.

“He’s a classy guy. The way he trains for me, he lets you train him like a good horse. He’s really lovely, and he’s nice to be around and work with. And he’s a colt. And the number one thing I like about him, he’s got a good heart. He’ll try every time.

“He’s a cool kind of dude. But one thing he doesn’t like, he didn’t like it in the beginning, when I put him in the saddling box. He got a little bit antsy. We decided to saddle him under the willow tree. And he totally loved it and calmed down, and he put more into his race, so that’s why you’ll see me saddle him under the willow tree. He looks around and loves it out there. As long as he’s under that willow tree and looking around, he’s a happy dude.”

Its Time to Shine is an athlete through and through, noted Ross.

“He is what he is, and he’s good at what he does. So that’s why you notice I put him in one race, it was seven furlongs, and it didn’t work out. But going five, five and a half or six, that’s his forte, and he’s good at it.

“When he’s in the gate, he’s a good gate horse. He stands in the V, and he just waits for it to open up, and he just goes right out nice. But he’s very focused in the gate. That’s a big bonus for him, too. Especially going short.

“I was fortunate to have a horse out of a nice mare (Platinum Steel) that produced a King’s Plate winner, Paramount Prince. I’m hoping that maybe one day, if he can do well, keep doing well, that he might make a nice Ontario sire. Because Souper Speedy was a great Ontario sire, he might be able to fit in for him somewhat. So that’s what I kind of hoped for because he’s out of a great mare.”

-30-

Sophie Charalambous, for Woodbine