4 Woodbine stakes: Argos, Corsia Veloce win Breeders’ Cup bids

Argos kicked off Saturday’s stakes action at Woodbine with a thrilling score in the Grade 1, US$362,567 Summer Stakes for 2-year-olds racing one mile on the inner turf.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Argos became a stakes winner in the Summer and earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, a one-mile race Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Click here for Woodbine entries and results.

“It got a little rough going into the first turn,” Prat said. “Luckily I was a bit behind that, so it didn’t affect me as much as others. ... I honestly, really loved the way he ran last time. I thought the last quarter was quite fast, and I don’t think it was the right setup for him. And obviously today we went on the inner (turf), and we had a better draw and a bit more experience and seasoning. And it was a good run.”

Marcus J set fractions of 23.26, 48.14 and 1:12.38 but was confronted by a host of runners coming out of the turn for home. His stablemate Two Out Hero seized command with less than 200 yards to the wire. But the late-charging duo of Argos, who had raced mid-pack for most of the race, and 8-5 favorite Wild Desert, who came from well back, arrived on the scene soon after. Argos dug down deep to eke out a head win. Two Out Hero finished third, a length behind Wild Desert. Teddy’s Rocket was fourth.

The final time was 1:35.70 over a firm inner turf. Jupiter and Military Time were scratched.

Argos, trained by Riley Mott, made the Summer his third career start after winning his debut over 5 1/2 furlongs on the Ellis Park turf in July. He then finished third in the Soaring Free at 6 1/2 furlongs over the turf at Woodbine on Aug. 16.

Owned by David Romanik, the bay is a son of Nyquist out of Acclamation mare Athenian. He was a $165,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction of 2-year-olds in training.

“My second horse (Caltech) raced in the Breeders Cup in 1989. It’s been a long time since then, and now my second one,” Romanik said. “This horse breezed at OBS in 30.4 (seconds for three furlongs), and the only other horse I’ve ever owned who did that ran in the Breeders’ Cup in 1989, so thought I had something special. We ended up buying him back at the sale, because he didn’t reach the price we wanted. But we thought he was this caliber.”

Bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables, Argos was the 6-1 fifth choice in the betting. He paid $15.70 for the victory.

Corsia Veloce is 3-for-3 after winning Natalma

Corsia Veloce under jockey Fraser Aebly stayed undefeated after another standout performance, this time in Saturday’s Natalma Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies.

The Natalma, a US$413,486 race contested over one mile of inner turf, was an automatic qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Hot Mash popped out of the gate and seized early command followed by supplemented La Culasse, Sweet Fusion, Dixie Law and Corsia Veloce through an opening quarter-mile in 23.81 over the firm course.

La Culasse took over shortly after the opening panel and led Hot Mash by three lengths after a half-mile in 48.47 seconds. Aebly bided his time with 12-1 Corsia Veloce.

Third hugging the rail out the turn for home, Corisa Veloce was given her cue by Aebly. The daughter of Practical Joke out of City Zip mare Beth’s Bling split rivals, setting her sights on the leader. A game La Culasse continued to dig in along the rail. Hot Mash looked to reel in Corsia Veloce, who struck front 70 yards from the line, setting up a three-way battle for the win.

At the finish Corsia Veloce was a half-length in front of Hot Mash. La Culasse was a farther neck back while 6-5 favorite Dance To The Music settled for fourth. Dyna was scratched.

The final time was 1:37.42.

“She’s a very easy filly to ride,” said Aebly, who earned his first Grade 1 victory. “She does everything right, and she makes you look good.”

Under the tutelage of Canada Hall of Famer Josie Carroll, Corsia Veloce rallied impressively last time out to win the Catch a Glimpse, a 6 1/2-furlong test for 2-year-old fillies over Woodbine’s outer turf.

“It is so special, and I’ve trained others in the family, which makes it feel even nicer for all of us,” Carroll said. “It’s very exciting. A filly like this, you don’t often go 3-for-3 with a baby like this, and the way she did it so gamely, it just gives you shivers.” 

The bay filly was bred in Ontario and is owned by Glenn Sikura’s Hill ’n’ Dale Farms and Mario Serrani. She notched a neck score in her debut, a 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint at Woodbine on July 6.

“The people at the farm who are forgotten all the time, they do such hard work and such great things, and they love these animals, and this is the greatest sport in the world,” Sikura said. “When you can get a win like this, I tell you it’s made my year."

Corsia Veloce paid $26.50 for the win.

Caitlinhergrtness wins Ontario Matron

Caitlinhergrtness, named after WNBA star Caitlin Clark, rebounded from an off-key performance last time out to win the US$127,187 Ontario Matron (G3) for fillies and mares.

After finishing fifth in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on Aug. 16, Caitlinhergrtness under Flavien Prat was back on the winning track courtesy of a dominant effort as the 4-5 favorite.

Hurricane Clair broke sharply in the 1 1/16-mile event on the Tapeta with multiple graded-stakes winner Fashionably Fab and stablemate Cailtinhergrtness also crossing over quickly from the outside heading into the first turn.

Hurricane Clair was ahead of Fashionably Fab by 1 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter-mile in 24.68 seconds. She still was on top after a half-mile in 49.62 seconds. Caitlinhergrtness, last year’s King’s Plate winner, tracked the pacesetters comfortably from third.

Gliding three wide around the turn for home, Caitlinhergrtness seized the lead in early stretch and then powered away from her pursuers with every stride. Ahead by a length at the stretch call, the 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach out of Giant’s Causeway mare Belatrix crossed the wire a 3 1/4-length winner. Hurricane Clair was a game second, a half-length ahead of For Flying. Five Towns (GB) was fourth.

The final time was 1:42.92. Blitz was scratched.

“I just personally think she just needs two turns,” winning trainer Kevin Attard said. “And the way the E.P. Taylor turf course is configured, it’s not to her liking. When she did win on the turf, it was on the inner-turf course. With the E.P. Taylor in your back yard, you’ve got to give it a stab, but obviously now she’s kind of back doing what she likes. And obviously she showed her true colors today.”

The chestnut filly who was named Canada’s champion 3-year-old female of 2024 is 14: 5-2-3.

Simcoe works hard to win Vigil

Simcoe under Rafael Hernández worked hard early and dug in late to win the US$125,021 Vigil (G3).

A son of Uncle Mo out of Pulpit mare Aurora Lights, Simcoe arrived at the seven-furlong Tapeta race for 3-year-olds and up off a 5 3/4-length score at 6 1/2 furlongs in the Bold Venture (G3) on Aug. 16, which marked his first added-money win. ? 

He might have been even more impressive this time. 

Victory Achieved grabbed the early lead. Simcoe, who won the Bold Venture in front-running fashion, struck the front after steady urging from Hernández to hold a head advantage through a sharp opening quarter-mile in 22.21 seconds.

The dark bay continued to roll along on the front end and upped his lead to two lengths over Twin City through a half-mile in 44.21 seconds followed by Victory Achieved and I’m A Gambler.

Around the turn, a host of foes came calling. They included Horsepower, who had burst between rivals at the top of the lane. He set his sights on Simcoe as well as Cruden Bay, who drove forward with a lively inside run.

On top by 1 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, Katerina Vassilieva-trained Simcoe was resolute to the wire, going on to secure a 1 3/4-length win. Horsepower was second, one length ahead of Cruden Bay. Twin City was fourth.

The final time was 1:21.19.

“When the gates opened, he was laying back, and then he missed the break a little bit,” Hernández said. “But I hustled to get in the lead, and you can see what he can do. ... He’s been training really well since his last race and just feeling like the man, feeling full of himself and really confident. And I was confident in him, but of course you never know if they’re going to give you a bounce. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be today. He proved that he’s still on his game.”

A homebred in Ontario for Chiefswood Stables, the victorious 5-year-old gelding is now 19: 7-4-0. He is 5-4-0 in his past nine races.

Simcoe paid $4.60 for the win.