TORONTO, June 19, 2026 – Trainer John Mattine is off to a strong start in 2026 at Woodbine, securing more longshot wins early in the season than the odds would dictate. In 2025, Mattine’s barn won seven races from 94 starts, completing the season with a 7 percent win rate and purse earnings of $367,614. This year, he has already won five races from 23 starts for a 22 percent win rate, along with purse earnings of $188,993. “Last season, we paid for it,” said Mattine. “We had a lot of babies that just turned three, so two to three. So, it kind of hurts you, right? But now we’re starting to see these three-year-olds come alive.” Mattine has been training thoroughbreds since 2009, following his late father Tony Mattine’s path at Woodbine. “My training style? Probably old fashioned,” said Mattine. “What I was taught, I probably incorporate in what I do.” His barn set a rigorous training schedule during Woodbine’s off season. “This is what happened in the wintertime, it’s minus 26 outside and we’re still training inside, indoors,” he said. “So, you know they’re saying, ‘Are we training?’ I said, ‘Yeah, we’re going.’” Interestingly, all of Mattine’s 2026 wins have been heavy longshots. His first win of the season was in April with three-year-old Quadzilla by Souper Speedy, at 18-1 in a $40,000 Optional Claiming race. Mattine immediately followed up this victory with a lower, but still impressive 9-1 win with four-year-old Magic Power by Reload in a $30,000-$32,000 Allowance Optional Claiming race, the lowest odds of his 2026 winners. In May, his barn secured their next win with three-year-old Velocita by Old Forester in a $23,500-$25,000 Maiden Optional Claiming race at a remarkable 43-1, paying $88.30 to win. Quadzilla secured a win yet again at 25-1 in a $40,000 Optional Claiming race, beating favourite, Philip Banks, by Silent Name (JPN), and another Silent Name (JPN) gelding, Dewolf, who ran in the 2025 King’s Plate. Mattine’s most recent win of the season was in June at 34-1 with three-year-old Guerra by Army Mule in a Maiden Special Weight race. “I don’t make the odds and I don’t gamble,” said Mattine. “But, it’s just sometimes the horses, let’s say, for example, Magic Power is supposed to be in a $25,000. The $25,000 didn’t go, so the other [$32,000] then went, we went, we took a shot, and it worked. Quadzilla, same thing. His race didn’t go, so we put him in a $40,000 and it worked, and then he did it again. But I mean, sometimes you get a little lady luck your way, and sometimes it goes the other way, right? ?But, I mean, you have to be in a race to win. You’re not going to win a race in the stall.” Mattine says his job is simple. “I can’t speak for gamblers or the betting public, but my job is to get them to the front side and put them in as good order as I can,” he said. Still, he adjusts his training whenever necessary. “You tweak things, but I mean, I haven’t really changed things over the years,” he said. But Mattine made one specific change this year. “I sat each and every groom down and exercise riders and said, ‘Listen, no negativity, we’re going to be positive this year.’” said Mattine. “Even the clients say they want to be positive. They want to see a nice, happy barn. So, when they come in, they want to see everybody smiling, and that’s what we’re doing, right? It’s fun. It’s getting fun again, right?” Mattine is especially excited for one of his longshots, Quadzilla, owned by RCC Racing Stable Ltd. Quadzilla. Michael Burns Photography “Quadzilla, I like him. I’ve always liked him,” said Mattine. “He was having a tough go last year, you know, you’re going from two to three, but his brother Junior Hot Shot was fast, and he’s a full brother. The gelding is making his turf debut on Sunday in the $100,000 Lake Huron Stakes over 5 furlongs on Woodbine’s inner turf out of post one with jockey Romero Maragh on board. “I’m looking forward to him in this race. Let’s see what happens there.” With the year Mattine is having, odds are he has a good shot. -30- Anna Jeffs, for Woodbine Share This:Share
