Woodbine Kicks Off 2016 Meet with New Tapeta Surface

Jockeys Luis Contreras, David Moran, Jesse Campbell and Eurico da Silva, and trainers John Ross and Mike DePaulo got their seasons kicked off right with two wins each on Saturday’s Opening Day card at Woodbine.

DePaulo and da Silva combined to win the featured $143,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes with Passion for Action, a four-year-old Ontario-bred, for owner-breeder Ben Hutzel.

Depaulo also scored with Majestic Slew in the ninth, while Marsantropist, for trainer Kevin Attard, gave da Silva his riding double in the 10th. 

The Jacques Cartier, as the rest of the Opening Day card, was run over Tapeta, Woodbine’s newly installed synthetic surface.

Contreras and trainer Tino Attard will be answers to trivia questions as the two combined to take the 2016 opener and first ever Tapeta race at Woodbine with Splashy Gizmo.

Contreras also scored with Lo and Behold in the fourth for trainer Nick Nosowenko.

Moran scored with Pat Daddy, for trainer Mike Doyle, in the second and Gran Bid (trainer Willie Armata) in the sixth for his deuce.

Ultraflame in the fourth gave Campbell and Ross each of their first wins of the season.  Campbell also guided Majestic Slew to victory in the ninth, while Ross saddled Our Nat’s (jockey Steven Bahen) to his second win of the day in the seventh.

Jockey Gary Boulanger and trainer Denyse McClachrie combined to get Bite the Gold home in the second.  

"So far I love it," said Contreras about the Tapeta surface, after the first. "We only went five furlongs, but there was no kickback.”

Woodbine, set for a 1pm post time on Sunday, has scheduled 133 racing dates this season, concluding December 4.

Ben Hutzel homebred Passion for Action, with 2015 leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva aboard, rallied last to first to win Saturday's opening day feature, the $143,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Mike DePaulo, the bay son of Speightstown arrived at the six-furlong sprint over the newly-installed Tapeta main track, from a pair of sixth-place efforts over the winter at Gulfstream Park.  

The Jacques Cartier was reduced to six horses with the early scratch of Commute and late scratch at the gate of race favourite Stacked Deck who was named Canada's champion sprinter on the eve of the card.

Hootenanny, winner of the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in 2014, broke well from the gate and set the early tempo under pressure from Hammerstein reaching the quarter in :22.48.  However, French Quarter, with Justin Stein up, surged up the rail down the back straight and took a short lead into the turn through a half-mile in :45.52.

Da Silva, waiting patiently at the back of the pack, pushed the button on Passion for Action late in the turn and rolled wide down the lane to overtake the favoured Hootenanny for a 2 1/4-length win. Passion for Action stopped the clock in 1:09.75.

The winning effort did not surprise da Silva who took home Sovereign Award honours as Canada's outstanding rider after winning 201 races in 2015.

"He broke well and positioned himself comfortably. I was very confident in him, because I work this horse in the morning and he was giving me a very good feeling," said da Silva. "I came with a lot of confidence. He was travelling last, but only three lengths behind. When I asked him, I put him outside in the clear and he just took off from there."

Da Silva enjoyed taking his first stakes score over the new synthetic main track.

"This track is beautiful. The horses go over it very easily," said da Silva.

Hutzel echoed da Silva’s sentiments.

“I love the track. I love the horse. I love him on the turf and anywhere from six furlongs to a mile. Maybe that’s what we’re shooting for, the Woodbine Mile,” said Hutzel. 

Passion for Action, bred in Ontario by his owner, banked $90,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-3-1 from 13 starts.

He paid $5.30, $2.40 and $2.20, combining with Hootenanny ($2.20, $2.20) for a $10.70 (4-6) exactor. A 4-6-5 triactor (Sorry About That, $3.70 to show) was worth $61.80, while a $1 Superfecta [4-6-5-1(Puntrooskie)] came back $35.10. 

Splashy Gizmo, under a confident steer from Luis Contreras, won the first race over the brand new Woodbine Tapeta main track as the 2016 meet launched on Saturday.

 

Sent to post as the 4-5 mutuel favourite, Splashy Gizmo, trained by Tino Attard for owner Frank Russo, settled well off the early pace of Wasted before putting away Scindia in a spirited stretch duel for a 3/4-length win. Splashy Gizmo covered five furlongs in :59.90.

 

Contreras, who finished second in the 2015 rider standings with 177 wins, enjoyed his first competitive trip over the Woodbine Tapeta (pronounced Ta-PETE-a) which was installed at the conclusion of the 2015 meet.

 

"So far I love it," smiled Contreras. "We only went five furlongs, but I had no kickback.  The trip was perfect. I had no problems in the race, I just angled outside and ran home.  It's a very quiet track."

 

Splashy Gizmo, a five-year-old daughter of Giant Gizmo, paid $3.90 to win the first race of Woodbine's 133-day Thoroughbred meet, which will feature one hundred and one stakes races, worth more than $20-million in purses.