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 Gas Me Up with Flavien Prat aboard head to the winner's circle after the King Edward Stakes (G2). |
Date: 8/16/2025
King's Plate Day is one of the biggest racedays of the year at Woodbine, with 5 stakes races on its undercard contested over both the Tapeta main track and the E.P. Taylor turf course. Conditions were typical for late August in Southern Ontario, with partly cloudy skies and a daytime high of 30.2 C (86.4 F), feeling like 35C (95F) due to the humidity, with the Taylor turf rated firm (GoingStick reading of 11.2).
The 1 1/2 mile Taylor course will close for racing after Sunday's card for a year-long renovation project to install a drainage system and new sod on the backstretch section, which was part of the Marshall Turf course that was installed for the track's opening in 1956. Turf racing will be conducted on the 7 furlong inner course for the rest of 2025 and first half of 2026, including the Woodbine Mile and Canadian International.
The $200,000 bet365 King Edward Stakes (G2) featured a field of 9 older horses going 1 mile on the Taylor turf in the main local prep for the Rogers Woodbine Mile (G1) on September 13. Last year's 5th place finisher Cruden Bay was sent off as the 9-4 favorite off his win in the Connaught Cup (G2). In to challenge him included 5-2 second choice Gas Me Up off an allowance win on July 20, and 4-1 third choice Piper's Factor, third in the Connaught Cup.
7-1 War Strategy battled with Piper's Factor down the backstretch and around the turn through fractions of 23.56, 45.91, and 1:09.42 while stalked by 54-1 longest shot Twin City and 44-1 Mason's Gamble. Turning for home the pacesetters tired as Cruden Bay, 6th early, gained a short lead through 7f in 1:21.36 but Gas Me Up, 7th early under Flavien Prat, came out 6 wide and rallied to outfinish 10-1 Wyoming Bill by 3/4 length in 1:33.85. It was another 3/4 length back to Twin City third, and a neck back to favorite Cruden Bay fourth,
Results Chart
Left: Gas Me Up in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Kevin Attard said, "This is a nice horse. He was a little bit plagued by some issues earlier in his career and now he's been able to get in a bit of a rhythm and he's showing his talent."
Right: Gas Me Up gets hosed off after the race.
Left: Gas Me Up in the post parade. Attard added, "We're glad now that he's healthy and doing really well. He really has an affinity for this E.P. Taylor course, which is a little sad now that he's not going to see it again for a while."
Right: The trophy presentation.
Left: Second place finisher Wyoming Bill in the post parade. The Catherine Day Phillips trainee improved his record to 2 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 11 starts, earning $162,602 for owner-breeders Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry.
Right: Third place finisher Twin City returns after the race. The Stuart Simon trainee improved his record to 4 wins, 5 seconds, and 4 thirds in 23 starts, earning $365,643 for owners Brent, Russell, and Roy McLellan.
Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Cruden Bay. The Donald MacRae trainee has a record of 8 wins, 9 seconds, and 1 third in 25 starts, earning $537,390 for owner Michael Lay.
Immediately before the Plate, a field of 7 older horses contested the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3) over 6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. Playmea Tune was sent off as the 6-5 favorite off his 4th place finish in the Highlander (G2). In to challenge him included 7-2 second choice Victory Achieved, unraced sinc 5th in the Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream in January, and 5-1 third choice I'm a Gambler, 6th in the Connaught Cup (G2).
Jockey Rafael Hernandez sent 11-2 fourth choice Simcoe to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 22.40 and 45.01 while pressed by 16-1 Old Chestnut and stalked by Victory Achieved. Turning for home Simcoe opened up a 5 length lead through 3/4 in 1:08.77, and cruised to a 5 3/4 length win over Victory Achieved in 1:15.42. It was another 1 1/4 length back to I'm a Gambler third, and a head back to favorite Playmea Tune fourth.
Results Chart
Left: Simcoe in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Katerina Vassilieva said, "He's a consistent horse since the end of last year, and he's been running huge every single time," praised Vassilieva. "I did expect a good effort today, maybe not for him to win quite so much, but I knew that it was possible for this horse."
Right: Simcoe gets hosed off after the race. Vassilieva added, "I just think he gets really confident when he's on the lead. Rafi (Hernandez) made sure he got the lead today, and it seems like when he gets it, he just doesn't look back."
Left: Second place finisher Victory Achieved returns after the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 7 starts, earning $126,301 for owner-breeder Live Oak Plantation.
Right: Third place finisher I'm a Gambler in the post parade. The Kevin Attard trainee improved his record to 12 wins, 4 seconds, and 8 thirds in 45 starts, earning $472,422 for owner Red Baron's Barn.
Kicking off the Saturday stakes action was the $150,000 Catch A Glimpse Stakes for 2-year-old fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf, the main local prep for the Natalma Stakes (G1) on September 13. Dyna, second by a nose in her debut on July 27 at Woodbine, was sent off as the 9-5 favorite over 4-1 second choice Sweet Fusion, a debut winner on July 26, and 6-1 third choice Piper's Gift who finished second behind Sweet Fusion in the same debut race.
Jockey Ryan Munger sent 22-1 Twist of Sugar to the lead through fractions of 22.67 and 45.61 while pressed by 10-1 Nacho Problem and stalked by Piper's Gift. Turning for home, jockey Aebly Fraser sent 11-1 Corsia Veloce, 4th early, out 6 wide to sweep to the lead through 3/4 in 1:09.48. Kept to task by Aebly, Corsia Veloce cruised to win by 1 1/2 lengths over late-running Sweet Fusion in 1:15.69. It was another 1/2 length back to favorite Dyna third.
Results Chart
Left: Corsia Veloce heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Josie Carroll said, "She was very precocious from the start, very determined. She's definitely got a mind of her own. She can be a handful on her day, but when she gets over here she puts her game face on, and that's what you need. The way she ran, she probably punched her ticket [to the Natalma], provided she comes out of the race well." Winning jockey Fraser Aebly added, "She broke well and we found ourselves stalking in the second or third flight. I ended up following [Nacho Problem]. When we hit the head of the lane, I let her tip out, tried to save as much as I could, and she flew home for me. She was a lot more experienced today. She took up the bridle and knew what we were doing."
Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Dyna returns after the race. The Kevin Attard trainee improved her record to 1 second and 1 third in 2 starts, earning $21,703 for owners X-Men Racing V and Madaket Stables.
The last stakes on the card was the $150,000 bet365 Soaring Free Stakes featuring a field of 9 two-year-olds sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf in the main local prep for the Summer Stakes (G1) on September 13. This is the last stakes race to be run over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course before closing for renovation. Two Out Hero, winner of his Woodbine debut on July 13 by 12 lengths, was sent off a the 6-5 favorite in the field of 9 over 7-2 second choice Casson, winner of the Victoria Stakes, and 9-2 third choice Argos off his debut win at Ellis Park on July 13.
Casson was quickest away through an opening quarter of 23.46 before 29-1 Rude Procedure took over on the turn through a half in 46.91 while stalked by Argos and Two Out Hero, Turning for home, favorite Two Out Hero, 4th early under Rafael Hernandez, came through between the pacesetters to gain the lead through 3/4 in 1:09.68. Kept to task by Hernandez, Two Out Hero drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Casson in 1:15.91. It was a neck back to Argos third.
Results Chart
Left: Two Out Hero in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Kevin Attard, after winning his third stakes on the card, said, "It's been a fantastic day. It's been a rough month. We had a lot of tough beats. We couldn't find the winner's circle. Luckily, today, everything kind of came together for us. The team puts in a lot of work and it's nice to see them get rewarded, as well. I couldn't be doing this without them. So, kudos to them and we're just going to enjoy the rest of the day."
Right: Two Out Hero heads back to the barn after the race. Attard added, "This is a good horse. I think he's a very special horse… So far, everything's gone according to plan and this is another stepping stone. We will take it from here."
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