Vanzzy scores front-running victory in Display Stakes

TORONTO, December 14, 2019 – Vanzzy led all the way in the $100,000 Display Stakes for two-year-olds during the abbreviated penultimate program of Woodbine’s 2019 Thoroughbred meet on Saturday afternoon.

With jockey Patrick Husbands along for the ride, Vanzzy wired the five-horse field, clocking fractions of :26.26, :51.32 and 1:15.19 over the all-weather track en route to victory in 1:45.90 for 1-1/16 miles. The Michael Pino trainee held off the favoured Elusive Knight in the stretch by a half-length with Finalist, who pressed the pace down the backstretch, finishing six lengths back in third. Northern Thunder finished fourth and Red Mercury was a distant fifth.

“I just get out front and get going,” said Husbands. “I did everything the first quarter, the first half and about four and a half out, I had to get my horse going – he got lazy on me – and by the time I got to the three-eighth pole, I was on a different horse and I just kept him alert.”

The victory marks Husbands’ fifth in the Display Stakes and lifts his 2019 Woodbine win total to 82.

“It’s an honour and pleasure that the owners and trainers stick with me throughout the whole year,” said Husbands, whose seasonal win total includes a meet-leading 21 stakes. “I’m not riding much, but everybody is still putting me on one or two live ones. I’ve got to tip my hat off to all the owners who invest in these horses, you know, there’s so much on the line. But I’m blessed.”

Sent postward as the 3-1 second choice on the toteboard, Vanzzy paid $8.40 to win.

Bred in Kentucky by Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds, the Verranzo colt out of the stakes-winning mare Selva is owned by Smart Angle LLP.

Vanzzy was making his Woodbine debut after competing at Parx and finishing second in the Parx Juvenile Stakes. The victory was his second in four career starts.

Closing day of the 2019 Thoroughbred meet gets underway at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, with 192 horses entered to compete in 16 races, making it the biggest race card Woodbine Racetrack has held in recent history.