TORONTO, August 14, 2025 – Trainer Katerina Vassilieva said Saturday’s (Aug. 16) Grade 3 $150,000 Bold Venture is setting up perfectly for her trainee Simcoe. “The distance should hit him right between the eyes,” the trainer said of the race that attracted a field of eight. “Six and a half [furlongs] seems to be his ideal distance, and it seems that he gets very brave when he battles for the lead and gets the lead. So, I’d like to see him be able to do that. “I’m sure we’re not the only ones with that game plan. There’s a little bit of speed in the race, but I liked what [Simcoe] was able to do in his last race when he fought for the lead, got it, and went on and put the other challengers away. So, I would like to see him be on the front end.” Simcoe, a gelded Ontario-bred son of Uncle Mo out of Aurora Lights by Pulpit comes into the Bold Venture off a victory on June 22 in a $120,700 Allowance Optional Claiming race at Woodbine. In the start prior to that last one, Simcoe was second on May 31 in the Grade 3 $180,000 Jacques Cartier stakes, also at Woodbine. In that race, Simcoe finished second to his Bold Venture foe Old Chestnut. “Simcoe is doing really well,” Vassilieva said. “He’s had plenty of time off since his last race, which he won… It’s been about six or seven weeks. Simcoe and jockey Rafael Hernandez winning Race 9 on June 22, 2025 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) “He’s coming into [the Bold Venture] a really fresh horse. He’s been training well, working well, week to week. I think he’s going to run a really good race for us on Plate Day.” Simcoe will be ridden by Rafael Hernandez. The dark bay Chiefswood Stables Limited homebred has been first or second in all five 2025 starts, posting a record of 3-2-0 with earnings of $132,080. Lifetime, the 5-year-old sports a record of 5-4-0 in 17 starts and earnings of $250,170. “He seems to really have hit his best ride when we shortened him up in distance,” Vassilieva said. “He won twice at a route distance when he was 3. And then a few different things happened and he seemed to lose his stride a little bit. “Then, we decided to shorten up the distance at the end of last year and that worked really well. That was the start of a slew of first and seconds. So, he definitely seems to prefer sprinting at this point in his career. “He had a really good winter at Turfway Park. I think that really brought his confidence up, and that sort of translated to what we’re seeing now. “He’s always gritty and determined in all his races. He tries really hard for us every time and leaves it all on the racetrack. He’s a super athlete.” Field for the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (Race 8) Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 1 – Victory Achieved – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse 2 – Junior Hot Shot – Jose Campos – John Ross 3 – Old Chestnut – Pietro Moran – Martin Drexler 4 – Ice Chocolat (BRZ) – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse 5 – Playmea Tune – John Velazquez – Josie Carroll 6 – Simcoe – Rafael Hernandez – Katerina Vassilieva 7 – I’m A Gambler (IRE) – Flavien Prat – Kevin Attard 8 – Twin City – Keveh Nicholls – Stuart Simon Dave Briggs, for Woodbine Share This:Share
