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2022 Royal North Stakes at Woodbine

Trainer Josie Carroll leads Boardroom to the winner's circle after the 2022 Royal North Stakes at Woodbine.

The first turf stakes of the 2022 Woodbine Thoroughbred meeting is the $175,000 Royal North Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf course. Conditions were excellent for early June in Southern Ontario, with sunny skies and a race time temperature of 21C (70F), with the course rated firm (GoingStick 11.1). Boardroom was sent off as the 11-4 favorite in the field of 8, making her first career start on turf after finishing second in the Whimsical Stakes (G3). In to challenge her included 4-1 second choice In Good Spirits, fourth in the Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs, and 17-4 third choice Souper Sensational, unraced since finishing fifth in the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland in October.

Down the stretch in the Royal North Stakes. Boardroom is toward the outside with the yellow cap.

Jockey Patrick Husbands sent Souper Sensational to the lead and she set fractions of 22.42 and 44.37 while pressed by 5-1 fourth choice Jeanie B and stalked by Boardroom. Souper Sensational continued to lead through 3/4 in 1:07.30 but Boardroom, confidently ridden by Rafael Hernandez, came out 4 wide for room and outfinished Souper Sensational to win by a neck in 1:13.55, just 0.62 seconds off the course record. It was another neck back to late-closing 31-1 longest shot La Libertee third.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 5 Boardroom Hernandez 7.70 4.20 3.50 8 Souper Sensational Husbands 5.10 3.60 4 La Libertee Wilson 10.50 Winning Time: 1:13.55 $1 Exacta 5-8 20.80 $1 Trifecta 5-8-4 269.00 $1 Superfecta 5-8-4-7 1,864.90 Results Chart

Left: Boardroom in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Josie Carroll said, "The last race, she missed the break. She just didn’t get herself into position in time. She was flying on end. She handled the grass really well at Palm Meadows and I was pretty confident she’d like it. I was a little concerned because I knew it would be pretty hard and fast and that was something she hadn’t been over."

Right: Boardroom heads back to the barn after the race. Winning jockey Rafael Hernandez said, "Josie told me, ‘Raffi, just make sure she breaks good out of the gate.’ She’s an unbelievable horse. Everything worked good, exactly like Josie told me, and here we are. Even though the pace was fast, she was doing everything easy. She just stretched her legs down the lane."

Left: Boardroom walks over before the race. Carroll added, "This is just a really good mare. You can’t go over there with anything but confidence. She just gives you everything every time. I’m so fortunate that I have owners (LNJ Foxwoods) who are going to do the right thing by the horse. When you take the time and do the right thing by them, they pay you back."

Right: Boardroom in the post parade. Hernandez added, "I know my horse, when I keep asking, she’s going to give me the best she can."

Left: Second place finisher Souper Sensational heads to the track before the race. The Mark Casse trainee improved her record to 3 wins, 4 seconds, and 1 third in 11 starts, earning $432,493 for owner Live Oak Plantation.

Right: Third place finisher La Libertee in the post parade. The Mark Casse trainee improved her record to 3 wins, 0 seconds, and 5 thirds in 13 starts, earning $149,505 for owner-breeder Tracy Farmer.

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