TORONTO, October 11, 2026 – Favoured Odenkirk toyed with a short field and remained undefeated, scoring a dominating win in Sunday’s $125,000 Display Stakes at Woodbine. A field of five was originally set to contest the 7-furlong main track sprint for two-year-olds, but morning line favourite Quipster was ruled a veterinarian scratch at the starting gate. With the field reduced to four, Odenkirk, breaking from post position 2, brushed slightly with Uncle Dodo, but soon burst clear and left the seven-furlong chute one length clear of Unbridled Freedom. Verge tracked inside in third, with Uncle Dodo shading him in fourth. The quartet of juvenile colts raced single file to the half with Odenkirk cutting out an opening quarter in :23.37, while continuing to lead through a half mile in :46.58. Inside the quarter-pole, a confident Rafael Hernandez snuck a peak back at the competition, before rebreaking on Odenkirk and the pair widened sharply in the lane, going on to win by 5 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:22.30. The six-furlong split was 1:10.14. Odenkirk and jockey Rafael Hernandez winning the Display Stakes on October 11, 2026 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) Second choice Uncle Dodo rallied to be second. Verge was third and Unbridled Freedom, making his local debut, was fourth. Hernandez, who picked up career North American win number 3500 earlier on Sunday’s card, was asked post-race if the pre-race scratch of Quipster bothered his colt. “No, actually, no, no, any impact. When I warmed up the horse today, they had to go run hard if they come beat me,” said Hernandez, who was aboard for Odenkirk’s local debut win on September 26th. In that race, the bay son of Nyquist turned in a professional performance in a six-furlong sprint over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course, stalking in second and striking front in the final half furlong, powering clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths. A $130,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by owner D J Stable LLC, Hernandez marveled at the ease the Mark Casse trained Odenkirk showed in winning the Display. “Yeah, everything right. Just waiting for horses. Whoever’s gonna come, he gonna give me another kick,” said the 3-time King’s Plate winning jockey. Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Inc, Odenkirk (Nyquist – Astrollinthepark, by Divine Park) improved to a perfect 2 for 2, while winning in his synthetic debut. Listed at 3-1 morning line, Odenkirk went postward at odds of 6-5 and returned $4.70 for the win. Phil McSween, for Woodbine Share This:Share
