Woodbine: Get Smokin, Caitlinhergrtness lead Saturday stakes

Get Smokin, trained by dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, will make his 8-year-old debut in the Grade 2, US$127,346 Eclipse Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine.

A 1 1/16-mile main-track event for 4-year-olds and upwards, the Eclipse has attracted a field of eight that includes multiple graded stakes winner Get Smokin.

The son of Get Stormy out of the Smoke Glacken mare Hookah Lady raise her record to 32: 8-7-2 in a snow-filled 1 1/2-mile Valedictory Stakes (G3) on Dec. 7 at Woodbine, to close out his 2024 season.

“He's a horse that has his running style, he likes to go to the front and stay there, and he just was so impressive,” said assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. “I felt like he could have gone around again. He was so powerful, and that effort was simply outstanding.”

A lifetime earner of $2,131,484, Get Smokin’s stakes success includes wins in the 2024 United Nations (G2), 2023 Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2), 2021 Seek Again, 2021 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3), and 2020 Hill Prince (G2).

His racing passport includes starts at Belmont at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, Kentucky Downs, Monmouth Park, Saratoga, and Tampa Bay Downs.

“I don't know what makes him so special,” said Sullivan. “He's a lovely horse. He's so consistent. He loves his job, and he's good at it. He's just a special horse.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hurstland Farm, Inc. and James Greene Jr., Get Smokin is owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings, and Saratoga Sevens Racing Partners.

He was purchased for $11,000 from the Hurstland Farm consignment at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

“Knock on wood, he's doing really well,” said Sullivan. “He's been working well. We're really happy with him. Obviously, he's an older horse, but he's not showing it at all. He’s his same old self.

“He's a pretty laid-back horse. He's a professional, he knows what he's doing, he knows it's race day, but he doesn't get particularly keyed up over it. He's a pretty laid-back character.”

Adela Williams is the groom.

The Casse barn is also represented by Webslinger.

Sired by Constitution out of the Hard Spun mare Arana, Webslinger has raced at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Colonial Downs, Del Mar, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, Monmouth Park, Santa Anita and Saratoga. ? 

The 5-year-old gelding will now add Woodbine to that list.

“He's also a very accomplished horse,” noted Sullivan. “He was one of our Kentucky Derby horses when he was three, and we've always been really high on him.”

Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, his stakes wins include the 2024 Chorleywood Overnight, 2023 Audubon, 2023 American Turf (G2), and the 2022 Nownownow.

Owned by D.J. Racing Stable, Webslinger sports a record of 19: 5-5-4, along with $1,408,116 in purse earnings. All but one of those races have been on turf.

“He was probably more of a turf horse, the same with Get Smokin, but that can translate nicely to the synthetic track up here,” said Sullivan. “He's a really consistent horse, rarely out of the money, and he's earned nearly a million and a half dollars. We're very proud of him.”

Gareth Daniels is the groom.

Other starters include the Martin Drexler-trained trio of Classic Mo Town, Cool Kiss, and Possiblemente.

Ultra-consistent Classic Mo Town, a 5-year-old son of Mo Town out of the Potrillon mare Potra Clasica, has fashioned a record of 5-3-8 from 21 starts, along with $217,981 in purse earnings.

“He’s a very nice horse, as honest as it gets,” said Drexler. “We’ve had him for a while. We claimed him for $25,000 and he is a horse who never seems to run a bad race.”

Bred in Florida by John B. Penn & Sue's Farm II,, Classic Mo Town is owned by Bruno Schickedanz. ?

Ned Hayes is the groom.

A 5-year-old son of Kantharos out of the Philanthropist mare Hot Kiss, Cool Kiss was claimed for $40,000 by Drexler for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman last October at Woodbine, a 3 3/4-length win at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The graded stakes placed dark bay gelding, who is 18: 3-4-0, has $219,171 in lifetime purse earnings.

“My owners liked this horse all along,” said Drexler, of the horse bred in Ontario by Phoenix Racing. “They have watched him and they thought he was a hard-knocking horse who could do well for us. We like him a lot.

“The decision was made not to take him to Florida. He had a good winter here, came back and he’s training very well ahead of this race.”

Greg Howell is the groom.

Possiblemente, a 5-year-old son of Tale of Ekati out of the Not Bourbon mare Internal Bourbon, will make his first start in Canada after 21 races in the U.S.

Sporting a 21: 7-7-2 mark and $236,365 in purse earnings, the well-traveled chestnut gelding, owned by Sport of Kings Racing Partners, finished fifth in his most recent outing, the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3), on Feb. 1.

Bred by Charles Fipke, Possiblemente has had four breezes over the Woodbine main track this month, including five panels in 1:00.8 on Saturday.

“He’s another nice one for us,” said Drexler. “He’s a consistent horse and he’s had a lot of very good races in the U.S. We’re looking forward to him running up here – he’s doing very well."

Anthony Reid is the groom.

Fleet Path won the inaugural running of the Eclipse in 1956. Last year, Palazzi, trained by Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber, won the race under Sahin Civaci.

The Eclipse is listed as Race 9 on Saturday’s 11-race card, with a first post of 1:05 p.m. EDT.

Canada horse of the year Patches O'Houlihan returns in Jacques Cartier

Patches O’Houlihan, Canada’s reigning horse of the year, will chase more graded stakes glory in the US$109,153 Jacques Cartier (G3), Saturday at Woodbine. 

A six-furlong main track event for 4-year-olds and upwards, the Jacques Cartier marks the second start of the campaign for Patches O’Houlihan, the multiple graded stakes-winning 5-year-old son of Reload out of the Silent Name mare Maythefourthbwithu.

The Frank Di Giulio, Jr. homebred, trained by Canada horse racing hall of fame inductee Robert Tiller, arrives at the Jacques Cartier off a brilliant 2025 debut on May 4.

Under two-time Canadian champion apprentice rider Sofia Vives, Patches O’Houlihan took the $100,000 Thorncliffe Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong main track event for 4-year-olds and up, by four lengths as the 2-5 choice.

He stopped the teletimer in a blistering 1:02.28, which eclipsed the previous record mark of 1:02.62 set by Arzak on April 17, 2022. ? ?

What impressed Di Giulio most?

“I would think it would be the time and how easily he did it,” he said of the horse who was also feted as Canada’s champion male sprinter of 2024. “When I saw that he had run in 1:02 and change, I knew it was fast, but I didn’t know it was a track record. He seemed to do it pretty handily, so that was impressive as well.”

Patches O’Houlihan, a nod to the Rip Torn character in the comedy movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, launched his career in September 2022 and produced a 4 1/2-length win at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Woodbine main track.

He hasn’t slowed down since.

Between May and September of 2023, Patches O’Houlihan reeled off six consecutive victories.

His record stands at 15: 12-1-0 along with $748,590 in purse earnings.

“I am vocal near the end when I watch him run,” said Di Giulio, one of the country’s most accomplished owners and breeders. “I watch outside in the stands. I start off sitting and I end up standing after about the first quarter-mile. I’ll start cheering near the end. I have a tendency of getting a little too excited before the race is over – in a couple cases I almost got caught. The fact that he is usually on the lead, I am just cheering for him to stay there. He gives you a lot of confidence.”

Patches O’Houlihan has also developed a strong following, drawing comparisons to Pink Lloyd, the eight-time Sovereign Award winner and 2017 horse of the year in Canada who Di Giulio co-owned under the Entourage Stable banner.

Inducted into the Canada horse racing hall of fame in 2023, Pink Lloyd won the Jacques Cartier four straight times, from 2017-20.

“It would be great to win this race, to follow in his footsteps,” said Di Giulio. “I have to pinch myself to be so lucky to have two such amazing horses. I feel blessed to be a part of both of them.”

Patches O’Houlihan breezed four furlongs over the Woodbine main track in 46.4 seconds, fastest of 24 works, on May 22.

“Bob (Tiller) was very happy with the work,” said Di Giulio. “He did it easily and galloped out well. He’s average in size, but he’s built like a truck, very powerful.” ?

Clifford Knight is the groom.

Other starters include Simcoe, a 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo out of the Pulpit mare Aurora Lights.

Bred and owned by Chiefswood Stables and trained by Katerina Vassilieva, the 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo out of the Pulpit mare Aurora Lights enjoyed a productive winter at Turfway Park to kick off his current campaign.

In three starts, Simcoe finished second and earned consecutive scores, including a two-length win at 6 1/2 furlongs over the all-weather track on March 15.

He now has two wins and three seconds from his last five starts.

“Simcoe had a late start to his season at Woodbine last year, and at the end of the season ran two very solid races,” said Vassilieva, who is off to a strong start in 2025. “It didn’t seem to make sense to shut him down when he was gaining so much forward momentum. That’s when Rob (Landry, Chiefswood Stables general manager) and I made the decision to send him to Turfway Park for the winter. He did very well there.

“He continued to improve over the winter and has carried that with him into the spring. It’s interesting because he seems to have relished the cutback in distance that we tried. He went from liking two-turn route races earlier in his career to now doing very well in sprint races – he’s really stepped up his game and we are all happy to see him flourish. He’s a big, strong, athletic horse. He’s confident, professional and always very focused on his job.”

His work tab includes a four-furlong breeze in :48.60 over the Woodbine main track on May 16.

“Simcoe deserves a chance to take on stakes-caliber horses,” said Vassilieva. “Obviously, he will be up against some very good horses here, but we feel he belongs.”

Jamar Goddard is the groom. 

Essence Hit Man netted the Jacques Cartier natural hat trick from 2011-13. Avelino Gomez and Robin Platts are tied for most wins by a jockey, with six.

The race is named after Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), a French navigator, explorer and cartographer. He was the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River and to use the name Canada in his writings.

The Jacques Cartier is listed as Race 1 on the 11-race card, with a first post of 1:05 p.m. EDT.

Canada champions Caitlinhergrtness, Fashionably Fab clash in Belle Mahone

Multiple graded stakes winning trainer Kevin Attard sends out the Canadian champion duo of Caitlinhergrtness and Fashionably Fab in Saturday’s US$109,153 Belle Mahone Stakes (G3), at Woodbine.

Attard, who earned his first Sovereign Award as the country’s champion trainer of 2024, will be represented in the 1 1/16-mile main track Belle Mahone, for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, by last year’s King’s Plate winner and Canada champion 3-year-old filly Caitlinhergrtness, and older main track female honoree Fashionably Fab, who took last year’s running of the Belle Mahone.

“We’re very blessed to have these two in the barn,” said Attard. “Great owners for both make it that much more special.”

Named for WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, 4-year-old Caitlinhergrtness has lived up to her namesake.

Owned by WinStar Farm, the daughter of Omaha Beach out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Belatrix launched her career in the U.S., where she made four starts. After a third at Saratoga in her debut, she broke her maiden next time out at Belmont. She closed out her 2-year-old campaign with a fourth in the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct and opened her 3-year-old season with a fourth at Gulfstream before bringing her talents north to Woodbine.

Bred by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness was second in last year’s Woodbine Oaks before going to beat the boys in the 165th running of The King’s Plate. She closed out her 3-year-old season with a third in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in October, and a fourth in the Valedictory Stakes, at Woodbine, on Nov. 9.

The Belle Mahone marks her 4-year-old debut.

“Obviously, it was a great year for Caitlin,” praised Attard, of the filly whose lifetime purse earnings stand at $693,812. “She’s as genuine as they come and full of heart.”

That was on full display in the King’s Plate.

Rafael Hernandez, who will be aboard in the Belle Mahone, guided the chestnut filly to a three-quarter length score in the $1 million classic.

“She was relentless on Plate day,” recalled Attard. “You could see it in her demeanor before the race – that she was ready for the challenge. Lots of great memories from that day. Those are the moments that truly define what a team effort is.”

Caitlinhergrtness has had a steady work tab heading into her latest test, including a four-furlong breeze over the Woodbine main track in 47.0 seconds, the fastest of 105 works at the distance, on May 24.

“She’s doing amazing,” said Attard. “She had a good winter after a demanding year – she deserved every minute of that rest. She came back looking great. The only thing that didn’t change was that competitive fire in her eyes.”

Troy Garnett is the groom.

Attard has an equally spirited and accomplished contender in Fashionably Fab.

The now 5-year-old dark bay capped off her 2024 season with a gutsy nose score in the La Prevoyante Stakes, on December 14.

It was the 10th win, to go along with three thirds, from 17 lifetime starts, for Fashionably Fab, whose success also includes a victory in last year’s Ontario Matron (G3). She won five straight races, all stakes, from Sept. 12, 2023, to June 1, 2024.

“Fashionably Fab, what can you say?” said Attard, of the Terra Racing homebred. “She is the definition of a racehorse. Her record speaks for itself, but beyond those stats, she is as gritty and tough as they come.”

A daughter of Silent Name out of the Curlin mare Flashy’s Legacy, Fashionably Fab debuted with a third in September 2022 and then won her next three starts, including the Shady Well Stakes that December. 

“She has given us unlimited highlights over her career,” said Attard. “She’s always been a horse you never count out but that you can always count on.”

The lifetime earner of $537,572 will also make her seasonal debut in the Belle Mahone.

Fashionably Fab has had four breezes in May, the most recent at four furlongs in 48.6 seconds over the Woodbine main track on Saturday.

“She had a good winter too,” said Attard. “Like Caitlin, we’re very happy with how she is working heading into the race. She has that game face on already.”

Pietro Moran, Woodbine’s leading jockey in 2025, will ride.

Beresford Lee is the groom.

Other starters include multiple stakes winner Dana’s Beauty, For Flying, who won the 2023 Barao de Piracicaba (G1) in her native Brazil, and Kin’s Concerto, last year’s Woodbine Oaks winner. 

On May 19, 1917, Belle Mahone, ridden by Frank Robinson, won the 59th running of the King's Plate by a length. The daughter of Ypsilanti, who was coupled with Galley Head in the King's Plate, paid $2.80 for the win.

The Belle Mahone is listed?as Race 10 on?the 11-race card.