Ontario Sired Heritage Series commences with editions of the Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

TORONTO, June 19, 2025 – A pair of stakes, the $100,000 Georgian Bay and $100,000 Lake Huron, mark the start of this year’s Ontario Sired Heritage Series, Sunday at Woodbine. ​

Established in 2021, the Ontario Sired Heritage Series is comprised of three $100,000 legs and a $100,000 final for two divisions: 3-year-old colts/geldings, and 3-year-old fillies. The total purse structure for the series is $800,000. ​

All three legs and the final are contested over different distances and surfaces: the Woodbine inner turf, the Woodbine E.P. Taylor turf, the Woodbine main track, and Fort Erie dirt track. ​

In addition to the $400,000 in purses for each division, there is $70,000 in bonus money that is allocated to the three highest point earners in each division at the end of the series. ​

Attard sends out Rhaenyra, Zippy Gamble in Georgian Bay

The Georgian Bay, a five-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies over the inner turf, has attracted six sophomores, including Rhaenyra and Zippy Gamble from the Kevin Attard barn.

A daughter of Reload out of the Star Guitar mare Starmaline, Rhaenyra, a homebred for Al and Bill Ulwelling, is 1-0-2 from 6 starts.

The dark bay heads into the Georgian Bay off a fourth in a 5 ½-furlong main track event on May 22 at Woodbine.

“She’s a nice filly, still learning,” said Attard, Canada’s reigning trainer of the year. “The last race was obviously a little disappointing, but she came out of it fine.”

Rhaenyra launched her career on October 5, and finished third, a neck behind the winner, in a seven-furlong main track race. She completed her rookie campaign with a fifth, sixth and another third.

Her breakthrough came in her 3-year-old debut, on April 27 at Woodbine. Sent on her way as the 7-5 choice in the five-furlong sprint, Rhaenyra notched an authoritative 5 ¼-length win.

“That race is more indicative of the talent she has,” noted Attard. “Just like any young horse, the key is to unlock their potential and strive for consistency, work through those ups and downs.”

Attard, off to another strong campaign, is looking forward to his young pupil’s first turf test and stakes engagement.

“I think this race fits right into her wheelhouse, in terms of the distance. Everything about her stride and build suggests she will handle the turf.

“She’s always been a filly who has shown the ability to rebound off a tough race and come back with a big effort.”

Mark Walcott is the groom.

Zippy Gamble is the field’s most experienced runner.

Bred and owned by Ivan Dalos (Tall Oaks Farm), the bay filly has compiled a record of 2-0-2 from 8 starts, along with $66,592 (USD) in purse earnings.

The daughter of Gamble’s Exchange out of the City Zip mare Avie’s Zip wades into the Georgian Bay off a troubled fifth over six furlongs on the Woodbine main track on May 24.

“She got bumped around at the start of her last race and forced out, which may have rattled her a bit,” said Attard.

Zippy Gamble debuted last July at Woodbine and finished third at five furlongs on the main track.

After a fourth, third, fourth and seventh, she capped off her 2-year-old season with a 1 ¼-length score at five furlongs on December 5.

“We saw her build and get that maiden win in her final start of 2024 – very impressive effort where she stalked from up close and then pounced late.”

Zippy Gamble opened her 3-year-old campaign with another win, this time at six furlongs on the main track, on May 3.

“She came back in great shape and had another nice win to kick things off this year,” said Attard. “You always like seeing those bookend wins – ending off the campaign in the winner’s circle and starting off the new year back in the same spot.”

Also unraced on the turf – she was scheduled to run on the grass last August, but the race was moved to the main track – Zippy Gamble is testing the stakes ranks for the first time.

“Also looking forward to seeing her on the turf,” said Attard, who is three wins away from 850 for his career. “She looks like she’ll take to it as well.”

Jamar Bishop is the groom.

Go Kart Mozart revved up for Lake Huron test

Seven 3-year-olds will contest the Lake Huron, also run at five furlongs on the inner turf.

Go Kart Mozart, a homebred for Frank Di Giulio, Jr., will test out the grass and stakes ranks for the first time on Sunday.

A bay son of Souper Speedy out of the Silic (FR) mare Stormy Adieu, the bay gelding heads into the Lake Huron off consecutive wins, including an emphatic 3 ½-length maiden-breaking performance in his 3-year-old debut on April 26.

Bet down to 9-5, Go Kart Mozart zipped to an early lead in the five-furlong main track sprint, then boosted a half-length advantage to four lengths at the stretch call en route to victory in :58.55.

“I was pleasantly surprised with that first race of the year,” said Di Giulio. “He showed speed, and he kept going. We always hoped he would be a decent horse, so it was nice to see him show that.”

The milestone score was followed by a gritty neck nod at 5 ½ furlongs over the same surface on May 18.

Di Giulio was particularly impressed at how Go Kart Mozart, trained by Robert Tiller, dug in gamely in the final strides to emerge on top.

“He showed a lot of heart in that second race – it was very impressive how he fought hard to get the win. He had a horse at him the whole way and then he had to hold off an older horse down the lane and he was able to do that.

“This guy is a full-brother to Checkerboard Floor (3-1-6 and $179,365 (USD) from 18 starts), who was a nice one for us.”

Go Kart Mozart raced just once as a 2-year-old, a seventh-place finish that saw him bumped at the break in the 5 ½-furlong sprint last September.

“We had higher hopes for him in that debut, but he just didn’t run well,” said Di Giulio. “So, we shut him down for the season and regrouped ahead of the season. He wintered well and they did a great job with him at (the late) Paul Buttigieg’s farm. He’s had two very nice races in a row and hopefully, we can make it three.

“There was a non-winners of three race that didn’t fill, which would have been our preferred spot to run ahead of this race,” he continued. “I have no idea how he will run on the turf – we’re not running him because it’s on the turf, but because he is an Ontario-sired 3-year-old and he’s a sprinter.”

The horse is named after a line from Blinded by the Light, a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1973 debut album. A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann’s Earth Band reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top 10 hit in Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

Di Giulio also has a trio of 2-year-olds with a connection to English pop rock band Tears For Fears.

“One of them is on the farm and two of them are at the track. That’s the way I went with naming horses this year. One of them is called Mad World, another is Head Over Heels, and the other is Let It All Out, a line from the song Shout.

“I couldn’t get the name Shout, so my wife [Jennifer] was the one who suggested Let It All Out – so I can’t take all the credit for the horse names tied to music. That’s part of the fun of it, throwing names out there and seeing what you land on.” ​

Sofia Vives, aboard for all three prior starts, once again gets the call on Go Kart Mozart.

First post is 1:05 p.m. The wagering menu for the Georgian Bay includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, Pick 3 (Races 3-4-5) and $1 Swinger. The wagering menu for the Lake Huron includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10) and $1 Swinger.

Fans can watch and wager on all the races through HPIbet.com and bet365.com. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

$100,000 Georgian Bay Stakes (Race 3)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer ​ ​

1 – Rhaenyra – Pietro Moran – Kevin Attard

2 – Gretna Green – Ryan Munger – Michelle Love

3 – Zippy Gamble – Fraser Aebly – Kevin Attard

4 – Su Legado Vive – Eswan Flores – John Coryat

5 – Executive Success – Sahin Civaci – Marty Drexler

6 – Soupergirl – Rafael Hernandez – Marty Drexler

$100,000 Lake Huron Stakes (Race 8)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer ​ ​

1 – Dark Screen – Juan Crawford – Beverley Chubb

2 – My Boy Bruce (S) – Pietro Moran – William Tharrenos

3 – Tiernan – Keveh Nicholls – Krista Cole

4 – Little Red Domi – Sahin Civaci – Kevin Attard

5 – Magic Power – Eswan Flores – John Mattine

6 – Awesome Rainbow – Leo Salles – Norm McKnight

7 – Go Kart Mozart – Sofia Vives – Robert Tiller

Chris Lomon, Woodbine