Woodbine: Classic Mo Town is 1 of 4 graded winners Saturday

A model of consistency, Classic Mo Town finally charted his first stakes success with a win Saturday in the Grade 2, US$129,148 Eclipse at Woodbine.

Having finished in the top four in 20 of 21 career starts beforehand, the 5-year-old gelding trained by Marty Drexler and owned by Bruno Schickedanz always had shown he was up for the challenge.

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The runner-up in last year’s Valedictory (G3), his only prior stakes engagement, Classic Mo Town added graded-stakes victor to his résumé courtesy of a sterling performance in the 1 1/16-mile, synthetic-track affair for 4-year-olds and up.

Multiple graded-stakes winner Get Smokin, who won the 2024 Valedictory, stormed to the front early on. He was joined to his inside by Possiblemente, a stablemate of Classic Mo Town, and multiple stakes winner Dataman, who settled into third. Classic Mo Town, under Eswan Flores, sat a relaxed sixth of eight through an opening quarter-mile in 24.04 seconds.

Get Smokin continued to call the shots through a half-mile in 47.86 seconds while Classic Mo Town remained sixth.

Possiblemente ratcheted up the pressure on Get Smokin heading into the turn. Classic Mo Town, who had dipped inside and then moved to an outside path, was full of run and announced his arrival in early stretch before charging to the lead.

A head on top at the stretch call, the bay crossed the wire a three-quarter-length winner with a time of 1:42.97. Webslinger rallied to net second, and Get Smokin was third.

“It’s such a nice horse. It’s so easy to get along,” said Flores, who teamed with Schickedanz and Drexler to win the Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) with Old Chestnut earlier in the card. “We’re inside. The inside was my only worry that, you know, maybe I could get stuck in there. Marty had him so ready today. It was just a press button.”

“He’s always been a hard-knocking type of horse, and I figured he was in good order going into it,” Drexler said. “He was a good one right from the time we took him. He’s always there, and Eswan's riding confident right now, so I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Bred in Florida by John Penn & Sue’s Farm II, the well-traveled son of Mo Town out of Potrillon mare Potra Clasica broke his maiden in his fourth start, the milestone coming at Gulfstream Park on July 28, 2023.

Now 22: 6-3-8, Classic Mo Town paid $20.10.

70-1 Ms. Tart stuns in Royal North

At odds of 70-1, Ms. Tart stormed home late to take the US$112,298 Royal North (G3).

The first turf stakes of the 2025 Woodbine season did not disappoint.

After finishing off the board in the 2023 Natalma (G1) and third in the Whimsical (G3) this month, the third time at Woodbine was the charm for Ms. Tart. The longest shot on the board rallied stoutly to net top prize in the 6 1/2-furlong race for older fillies and mares, besting 12-1 Ready to Jam and 39-1 Ticker Tape Home. 

Graded-stakes winner Toupie, the 5-2 second choice, was hustled to the front, and was soon shadowed by 4-5 favorite Earhart and Dancing Duchess through an opening quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds. Ms. Tart, under Huber Villa-Gómez, sat ninth of 10.

Toupie and Earhart continued to wage their up-front battle beyond the half-mile in 44.49 seconds, but rivals soon converged on the leaders in early stretch.

Ms. Tart, seventh at the stretch call, had plenty of work left to do. The 4-year-old proved up to the task with an energetic outside rush that translated into a half-length win with a time of 1:15.56 on the good-rated turf.

Ready to Jam was a half-length ahead of Ticker Tape Home for second with Gal in a Rush a neck farther back in fourth.

It was the first stakes success for the daughter of Maximus Mischief out of Lemon Drop Kid mare Sheza Sweet Lemon.

“When I see everybody getting back, I said, wow, I still have more horse,” Villa-Gómez said. “I didn't have anywhere to go. When I put her in the clear, she was, OK, let’s go.”

“It’s amazing,” trainer Kevin Rice said. “It’s my first graded-stakes win, and it was just exciting watching, because you know, going the gate, were 40-something to one, and I’m not sure how we’re going to do here, full field and trying the turf here, but it was just amazing.”

Owned by Nathan McCauley, Ms. Tart is 16: 6-0-2. She paid $143.30 to win.

Caitlinhergrtness scores in Belle Mahone

Cailtinhergrtness, named after WNBA star Caitlin Clark, was much the best in the US$123,143 Belle Mahone Stakes (G3).

Sent off as the 2-1 choice, the daughter of Omaha Beach out of Giant’s Causeway mare Belatrix made her 4-year-old debut in the 1 1/16-mile synthetic-track race for older fillies and mares.

Last year’s King’s Plate winner and Canada’s champion 3-year-old filly showed she hadn't missed a beat.

For Flying came out of the gates running and tussled with Dana’s Beauty for early control. For Flying gained the upper hand to take a head lead through an opening quarter-mile in 24.17 seconds while Rafael Hernández positioned Caitlinhergrtness in third.

For Flying, pressed by Dana’s Beauty, still was in front by a head after a half-mile in 47.56 seconds. Hernández continued to patiently watch the proceedings from third, waiting for the moment to pounce on the pacesetters.

That moment came when she split rivals past the quarter pole. With less than 220 yards to go, the race was for second.

Caitlinhergrtness crossed the finish line a five-length winner with a time of 1:42.26. For Flying dug in to secure the runner-up prize, a neck in front of Ready for Shirl. Literate was a farther head back in fourth.

“I was just trying to get her to relax,” Hernández said. “She's been working really hard, and I just want to get her back on her feet and relax good. And I know when she is able to do that, when I put her in the clear, she’s going to explode like she did today. She's been working amazing, and everything paid off today.”

Kevin Attard, who celebrated his first Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion trainer in 2024, was equally effusive in his praise of the WinStar Farm chestnut filly who earned her first graded-stakes trophy.

“I was a little more nervous with her just because she had been working so fast, and we were making a conscious effort trying to slow her down in the mornings,” Attard said. “She came into us early in the year from WinStar just looking like a different animal. She matured so much, she filled out, she grew, and you know it all transpired onto the racetrack.

“She was just working that much faster and just doing everything so easy, but the times were quick, and I was worried she might be a little rank, but the race set up perfectly. Raffi did a good job with her, and she showed why she’s a champion.”

Bred in Ontario by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness ($6.30) is 10: 4-1-2.

Old Chestnut wins vs. only 2 in Cartier

After the scratch of champion Patches O’Houlihan, veteran campaigner Old Chestnut led from gate to wire against only two opponents to earn his first graded-stakes victory in the US$113,537 Jacques Cartier (G3).

After a third in the 2023 running of the Jacques Cartier and a second in last year’s edition, 8-year-old Old Chestnut finally struck gold in the six-furlong, synthetic-track race for 4-year-olds and up.

Trained by Marty Drexler, the son of Speightstown out of the Silver Deputy mare Pool Land broke sharply under Eswan Flores and took control a few strides out of the gate, going on to hold a one-length advantage over Simcoe to his outside through an opening quarter-mile in 22.40 seconds.

On top by a half-length through a half-mile in 44.13 seconds, Old Chestnut was engaged by Simcoe into the turn for home but repelled the challenge as the duo straightened for the stretch drive.

Old Chestnut then sprinted away with vigor in early stretch to secure a 2 3/4-length score with a time of 1:08.17. Simcoe was second, and Okiro was third. Multiple graded-stakes winner and reigning Canada horse of the year Patches O’Houlihan was scratched, making it a three-horse race.

“He broke so sharp, you know, I just had to take the take his best move, which is, we won with him last year, going to the front,” said Flores. “When it was time to go, he gave me what he had, because the other horse (Simcoe) was trying to move on you and just couldn't do it.”

“It was something you didn't expect,” Drexler said of Patches O’Houlihan's absence. “But I mean horse racing always throws something at you, so glad to take it. So, I actually thought we were live in here.”

It was the sixth career victory, to go along with five seconds and seven thirds from 42 starts for the multiple graded-stakes-placed Old Chestnut, who is owned by Bruno Schickedanz.

Bred in Florida by Live Oak Stud, Old Chestnut won the 2019 Ontario Racing Stakes. He made his fourth start of the current campaign and first visit to the winner’s circle in 2025.

Sent off at 7-2, the longest shot on the board, he paid $9.50 to win.