With five fillies in the 70th running of the Woodbine Oaks, chances were high that it would be a Mark Casse runner to beat them all. The hard part, or so it was thought, would be figuring out which one would step up to win it. No Time (Not This Time) did just that in fine style to take home the hardware carrying the colors of Gary Barber.
With only two prior lifetime wins–her maiden score on the grass last September and two back June 1 over the synthetic track by four lengths against optional claimers–and a fourth-place finish June 28 in the GIII Selene Stakes to her credit, No Time was the less favored of the stablemates who filled out the trifecta behind her. Shifty (Medaglia d'Oro) had kicked off her season with a 9 1/2-length tour de force May 11 against optional claiming company and had run third to Winterberry (Frosted) last out June 7 in the restricted Fury Stakes. The public made her 2-1 while the other D J Stable colorbearer was given 5-2 odds.
Sent off a 6-1 chance, No Time watched her stablemates roll through opening sectionals of :22.97, :46.47, and six furlongs in 1:10.97 as she traveled in the second flight of runners in sixth. Inching closer on the far turn, and the clear danger as heads turned for home, she launched her move from the overland route coming off the bend to take command passing the eighth pole. From there, it was how much she fancied winning by and she held the leading pair to a 3 3/4-length margin on the wire. Shifty claimed a clear second and Winterberry held on to third.
The final time was 1:50.14, a faster clocking than the colts went one race prior in the Plate Trial. Casse has now won a record-tying five Woodbine Oaks, with the other co-leader in tally being Jim Day. Jockey John Velazquez was winning his first of the Canadian Classic for the fillies.
“We know it's going to be a lot of pace in the race, so I wanted to see how it developed and developed in front of us,” said Velazquez. “She held her ground pretty well going to the first turn. So, kind of held it there. By the time she got to the backstretch, she switched and got a little bit on the bridle a little sooner than I wanted to. So, I kind of give and take a little bit. By the time we got to the half-mile pole, I just kind of kept it nice and easy.”
“And then I didn't want to make a premature move, but let her do whatever she was doing, easy at the same time the quarter pole came, and she switched on down the lane, and she gave another gear.”
The Woodbine Oaks has traditionally served as a stepping stone to the King's Plate, as Oaks-Plate champions read like a who's who of good fillies: Moira in 2022, Holy Helena in 2017, Lexie Lou in 2014, Inglorious in 2011, and Dancethruthedawn in 2001 all completed the double. Runners-up have done well too with Wonder Gadot (who sported those same hot pink silks along with Lexie Lou) rebounding from her Oaks defeat to claim the Plate in 2018 and so too did Caitlinhergrtness in 2024.
When asked his thoughts about a potential try at that double by his mount, Velazquez said, “I think if she can do that again and relax the first part, obviously, the way she did today, I think she has a very good chance.”
Gary Barber's ⌛️ NO TIME ($15.50) and John Velazquez (@ljlmvel) draw clear to win the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for trainer @markecasse. Congratulations to the connections with this 3yo filly is by @TMStallions' Not This Time. @WoodbineTB pic.twitter.com/gDzqYl2E2N
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 20, 2025
Pedigree Note
No Time is a half-sister to a pair of accomplished runners, namely GISW Random the Moon (Malibu Moon) and MGISW Count Again (Awesome Again). She is the second to last offspring for her dam, who was awarded Outstanding Broodmare in Canada during the course of her breeding career, with the final being a juvenile colt named Go On Three (Knicks Go). The mare, Count to Three, is herself a half-sister to the dam of Peruvian multiple group winner Paijan (Mingun) as well as to GIII Toronto Cup Handicap hero Think Red (Red Ransom). This is the extended female family of Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter).
WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY STELLA ARTOIS, C$502,000, Woodbine, 7-20, (C), 3yo, f, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.14, ft.
1–NO TIME, 121, f, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Count to Three (Outstanding Broodmare-Can, SW & GSP, $398,651), by Red Ransom
2nd Dam: Countus In, by Dancing Count
3rd Dam: Cloudy and Warm, by Cloudy Dawn
($250,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Gary Barber; B-James & Janeane Everatt & Arika Everatt-Meeuse (ON); T-Mark E. Casse; J-John R. Velazquez. C$300,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-0-1, $324,000. *1/2 to Ransom the Moon (Malibu Moon), MGISW, $884,829; and to Count Again (Awesome Again), MGISW-USA, GSW-Can, $1,085,415.
2–Shifty, 121, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Elusive Luci, by Elusive Quality. ($350,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$100,000.
3–Winterberry, 121, f, 3, Frosted–Dreams Are Free, by Bellamy Road. ($210,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$50,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 6.75, 2.20, 2.70.
Also Ran: D'aurum, Nata Trouble, Reveler's Row, Aristella, Innisfree Isle, Crystal Visions, War Signal, Ella It Is, R Canadian Apple. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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