Weekend Notables & Quotables (June 24-25)

Hall of Fame triple

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll sent out three winners on Saturday’s card. The multiple graded stakes-winning conditioner netted the natural hat trick, sweeping races 2-4. Galloping d’Oro kicked things off, The Arcadian Way made it two straight and Cleomenes capped things off in the fourth.

A great first impression

Joya de Oro, a chestnut daughter of Reload, had a winning debut on Saturday for trainer Catherine Day Phillips and owner A Bit More Racing. The 2-year-old filly, with Rafael Hernandez in the irons, went off at 4-5 in the race contested over five furlongs on the Tapeta.

Happy trails!

Mohawk Trail, making her first start outside of the U.S., turfed her competition in Sunday’s $100,000 Alywow Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile held off a late charge from Up and Down to earn her first career stakes victory.

Winning return 

Loyalty, a daughter of Hard Spun, made the first start of her 4-year-old campaign a winning one on Sunday. Owned by Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck) and LNJ Foxwoods, the dark bay, trained by Josie Carroll, is now 5-0-1 from seven lifetime starts after a 3 ¼-length triumph at 6 ½ furlongs over the Tapeta.

Worth repeating

“It’s an absolutely remarkable turf course. The turf is like a carpet to ride on.” – Jockey Adam Beschizza, after teaming with Mohawk Trail to win the Alywow Stakes over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Worth watching

Miss Speedy, owned by Gary Barber, trained by dual hall of famer Mark Casse and ridden by Sahin Civaci, sped away from her rivals down the lane to take Saturday’s $100,000 Ballade Stakes.

Worth knowing

The Canada Day Racing Festival showcases five graded stakes, including a pair of Grade 2 turf races, the Highlander and Nassau, on a star-stacked Saturday at Woodbine.

https://woodbine.com/stakes-schedule/