TORONTO, July 8, 2023 – The Ontario Sire Heritage Series launched Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack with a pair of $100,000 stakes, the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The five-furlong Inner Turf events are part of the Ontario Sire Heritage Series, an eight-leg stakes series open to Ontario sired 3-year-olds, to be contested at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks. First up was the Lake Huron for sophomore colts and geldings. Silent Reserve, fresh off a sparkling, six-length maiden-breaking score over the same surface and same distance on June 18, broke quickly and secured the lead, as Patches O’Houlihan tracked the pacesetter from second. Multiple stakes winner Poulin in O T sat third, with Kinetic Stone trailing in fourth through an opening panel in a brisk :21.37. Patches O’Houlihan and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto winning the Lake Huron Stakes on July 8, 2023 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) It was status quo for the quartet entering the turn for home, as Rafael Hernandez, who took over from Kazushi Kimura following a spill in the afternoon’s first race, and Silent Reserve looked to dash away from Patches O’Houlihan in early stretch. Patches O’Houlihan, trained by Canadian Horse Racing inductee Robert Tiller for owner/breeder Frank Di Giulio, Jr., began to cut into the lead of his rival and mid-way down the lane took control, going on to notch a 1 ¼-length win in :56.49 over firm going. Silent Reserve was second, a length in front of a late-charging Poulin in O T. Kinetic Stone was fourth. Awesome Bourbon was scratched. “He is a good horse,” praised Fukumoto. “I just followed the speed. It was a question mark for me whether he likes grass or not, but when he broke, he was going good and I just followed the speed.” It was the fourth win from five starts for Patches O’Houlihan, who came into the Lake Huron on a two-race win streak. Patches O’Houlihan and jockey Daisuke Fukumoto winning the Lake Huron Stakes on July 8, 2023 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) The son of Reload’s only previous effort on grass came over the E.P. Taylor turf in last year’s seven-furlong Bull Page Stakes when he was sixth, one race after his victorious career bow on September 11. “There was, definitely,” offered Tiller, of concerns running on the grass again. “And the five-eighths, honestly. He proved to me today that he’s a really good horse. I really believe he’s a good horse.” Sent off as the 2-1 third choice, Patches O’Houlihan returned $6 for the win. Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms Share This:Share
