Woodbine: Mighty Heart is back to defend in Dominion Day

Defending winner Mighty Heart drew post 5 in a field of nine and was assigned the co-top weight of 125 pounds for the Grade 3, US$116,505 Dominion Day Stakes, the feature on a holiday Friday card at Woodbine.

Mighty Heart, a popular 5-year-old by Dramedy who lost his left eye shortly after he was foaled, was Canada’s top horse in 2020 on the strength of his victories in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales stakes. Bred and owned by Larry Cordes, he is trained by Josie Carroll, who won the Dominion Day for the first time last year.

A two-time graded-stakes winner, Mighty Heart has earned $1,095,420 on the track, more than any two of his Friday rivals combined.

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Justin Stein, who rode Mighty Heart to a maiden-breaking victory and again in a third-place allowance finish in 2020, becomes the fourth different jockey in as many races for the horse who looks most likely to set the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile race on Woodbine’s Tapeta synthetic course.

Artie’s Storm, the other co-top weight at 125 pounds, is 3-for-3 in open company and has finished first in his last three races. In winning last month’s Eclipse Stakes (G2) covering 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine, he beat Frosted Over (second), Mighty Heart (third) and Special Forces (last of six), all of whom he will meet again Friday. Trained by Paul Buttigieg and ridden as usual by David Moran, the 4-year-old We Miss Artie gelding drew post 7.

Dual Hall of Famer and 14-time Canadian training champion Mark Casse has three horses entered in his bid to win the Dominion Day for the fourth time. The 4-year-old colt Frosted Over, who drew post 9 and will carry 121 pounds, won last year’s Ontario Derby (G3) over the same course and distance as Friday’s race. Skywire, a 6-year-old gelding who is racing for only the second time since he finished fifth in the 2021 Dominion Day, drew post 3 and was assigned 119 pounds. The 4-year-old filly Talbeyah, formerly based in England, won her North American debut last month at Woodbine. She drew the rail and will carry a race-low 114 pounds against the boys.

Primo Touch, a 7-year-old gelding ridden by last year’s Dominion Day-winning jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, got post 2 and 119 pounds. War Bomber, a 4-year-old gelding coming off a 6 1/2-month break, has post 4 and 121 pounds. Avoman, a recently claimed 4-year-old gelding, drew post 6 and an impost of 121 pounds. Special Forces, a 7-year-old gelding who won last year’s Durham Cup (G3), will carry 121 pounds from post 8.

The Dominion Day is scheduled to begin Friday at 3:44 p.m. EDT and is the sixth of nine races on the Canada Day card. The first post is at 1:10 p.m. The government weather forecaster Environment Canada predicted a 40 percent chance of showers for Friday with a high of 86 degrees.