TORONTO, August 23, 2024 – Caitilinhergrtness, the lone filly in the 165th running of The King’s Plate, collared mutuel choice My Boy Prince late to win a thrilling renewal of the $1 million Canadian classic, Friday afternoon at Woodbine.
Last time out, Caitlinhergrtness, named after female basketball star Caitlin Clark, settled for second place, a neck back of the winner, in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks.
On this day, the Kevin Attard trainee went one better to earn her first stakes triumph in style, courtesy of an outstanding performance in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Originally scheduled for August 17, torrential rains had prompted the postponement of the Plate until today.
A compelling finish under perfect conditions made it well worth the wait.
Essex Serpent and stablemate My Boy Prince, the latter sent off as the 3-5 choice, were one-two past the wire the first time, as Rafael Hernandez, aboard Caitlinhergrtness, settled the filly into fifth.
On top by a length through an opening quarter in :23.74, Essex Serpent was closely shadowed by multiple stakes winner My Boy Prince, followed by No More Options and Rafaroo.
Essex Serpent maintained a length advantage over My Boy Prince through a half in :47.23, as Caitlinhergrtness tracked to the outside in fourth.
Heading into the turn for home, Sahin Civaci gave My Boy Prince his cue and the duo accelerated away from the pack, but Caitlinhergrtness picked up the pursuit, setting the stage for a dramatic duel to the wire.
A half-length behind My Boy Prince at the stretch call, Caitlinhergrtness kept coming and was able to get by to notch a three-quarter length win. Midnight Mascot rallied from well back to finish third. Pierre, also trained by Attard, was fourth and Jokestar, another Attard pupil, was fifth. Bedard, also conditioned by Attard, was scratched.
The final time for the mile and a quarter on the all-weather was 2:03.45.
Hernandez, who teamed with Attard to win the 2022 Plate with star filly Moira, was elated to win his third (he also won with Shaman Ghost in 2015) “Gallop for the Guineas.”
“She was hot, but she was getting on the bridle a little bit,” said Hernandez. “She gave me everything. I was covering all the time, all the time, and when I pulled the trigger, she just gave me everything.”
As for the moment he knew he had it won, Hernandez quipped, “When I crossed the wire.”
Attard, who trains the daughter of Omaha Beach–Belatrix for owners Siena Farm LLC and Winstar Farm LLC, heaped praise on the chestnut who was supplemented into the Plate.
“She’s obviously all class and all racehorse. She’s handled everything really well. She’s withstanding everything we’ve thrown at her. I was happy with where he [Hernandez] positioned her the whole way around there and at the quarter pole, I thought we had a shot.
“She gave it all she had,” continued Attard. “My Boy Prince, kudos to him. He put in a gallant effort today. You know, he was a little suspect by a lot of people going this far, but he just proved what kind of class horse he is. I think our filly’s pretty special, and it took everything she had to run him down, and she’s the champ.”
Bred by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness launched her career in the U.S., where she made four starts. After a third at Saratoga in her debut, she broke her maiden next time out at Belmont. She closed out her 2-year-old campaign with a fourth in the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct and opened her 3-year-old season with a fourth at Gulfstream before bringing her talents north to Woodbine.
She returned $20.70 for the win.
The $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, a 1 3/16-mile race over Fort Erie’s dirt oval on September 10, is the next race in the tri-surface OLG Canadian Triple Crown series, which concludes with the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes at 1 ½ miles over Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor Turf Course on September 29.
Wando, in 2003, was the last horse to sweep the series.
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Patches O’Houlihan wins second straight Grade 3 Bold Venture
TORONTO, August 23, 2024 – Patches O’Houlihan, a son of Reload-Maythefourthbwithu, went coast-to-coast for the second straight time in the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3), on King’s Plate Friday at Woodbine.
One year after showing a blend of speed and resiliency in the 6 ½-furlong main track event for 3-year-olds and up, Patches O’Houlihan, in rein to Sofia Vives, produced a strikingly similar performance on a sunny afternoon at the Toronto oval.
The bay gelding, in typical fashion, got away smartly and went to straight the front, en route to a one-length lead over First Empire through an opening split in :22.38.
Patches O’Houlihan was still on top after a half in :44.55, but was under pressure into the turn from home, as First Empire and Playmea Tune took aim at the frontrunner. Ahead by 2 ½ lengths at the stretch call, the 4-year-old kept Playmea Tune and I’m A Gambler (IRE) at bay, to earn a neck triumph over the former.
The final time for 6 ½ furlongs was 1:14.90, not far off the record of 1:14.44, set by Noholdingback Bear on July 1, 2016.
“Sometimes, I think he’s like a person,” said Vives. “He’s very wise. He knows where the wire is, and he knows how to win. He has a lot of heart. Patches definitely showed today that he’s a champion and he deserved this race two years in a row.”
It was yet another impressive performance by the bay gelding, trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Bob Tiller.
“He’s a very good horse, and he’s proved it again today,” praised Tiller. “And we’re blessed and very happy to win it. So, I’m thrilled. I’m absolutely thrilled. You know, we’ll carry on from here. He’s been training really super.”
Bred and owned by Frank Di Giulio, Jr., Patches O’Houlihan launched his career in September 2002 and rhymed off a 4 ½-length win at 5 ½ furlongs over the all-weather track.
He arrived at the Bold Venture off a strong six-length score in the Pink Lloyd Stakes on July 28.
Sporting a record of 9-0-0 from 11 starts, all at Woodbine, Patches O’Houlihan, who went off as the 6-5 choice, paid $4.60 for Friday’s win. Capture the Lion was scratched.
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Shifty surprises with front-running score in Catch a Glimpse
TORONTO, August 23, 2024 – Shifty, making just her second career start, entered Saturday’s Catch a Glimpse Stakes as a decided underdog while facing the likes of her undefeated Mark Casse-trained stablemate Bullet.
But, after emerging from a mad scramble to take the early lead, Shifty never looked back as she rolled through fractions of :23.19, :46.20, and 1:09.53, en route to a 3 ¼-length victory in the 6 ½ furlong race for 2-year-old fillies over an E.P. Taylor turf listed as good. Her final time under rider Sahin Civaci was 1:15.68.
While Shifty returned $25.50, Casse did not seem overly surprised by her success.
“She’s a beautiful filly,” said Casse. “She’s absolutely gorgeous. And we kind of felt like she was as good as anybody. And we wanted to try to get some black type on her, and we got it.”
Ready for Candy rallied for second money with Shotgun Wedding, Will Reign (also trained by Casse) and Salt rounding out the top five.
Bullet, moving into contention early as the 3-5 choice, was seeking her third win in as many starts but failed to fire and ended sixth in the field of 11.
Rounding out the order of finish were Bound to Be True, Ambitious Lass, Carlisle Bay, Crystal Visions and Misty Point.
Shifty, owned by D.J. Stable LLC, had debuted on the E.P. Taylor on July 4 and showed late life to finish fifth in a field of seven after breaking slowly.
By Medaglia d’Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Luci, Shifty was bred by Anderson Farm Ontario Inc. and sold for $350,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale.
FEATURED PHOTO: Caitlinhergrtness and jockey Rafael Hernandez winning the 165th King's Plate on August 23, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
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