Sir Winston wins first start in nearly a year at Woodbine

Making his first start in nearly a year, 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston came back a winner for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer at Woodbine Race Course Thursday. 

Dispatched as the 9-2 third choice in a six-horse field, Sir Winston and new rider Antonio Gallardo raced widest of all while stalking leaders My Silencer and 8-5 favorite Special Forces for the opening six furlongs. Sir Winston ranged up to the leaders on the second turn and began a stretch-long duel with Special Forces before finally putting that rival away late to win by two lengths. 

A homebred for Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston had not started since a fourth-place finish in the Sept. 1 Champions Day Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs, when he was never a factor. His comeback win Thursday over the Woodbine Polytrack was his first since an allowance tally on the Aqueduct main track in January 2020.

Sir Winston’s 10-1 upset in the Belmont Stakes is his only career graded-stakes win. The 5-year-old horse by Awesome Again ups his record to 16: 5-2-1 with earnings approaching $1.1 million.