Woodbine

Kevin Attard never doubted that he had what it took to train a racehorse. What he wasn't sure of, at least back then, was whether that confidence would be enough. The lifelong horseman was from a family of Canadian trainers and jockeys and he had practically grown up on the backside at Woodbine, but in 2005, his barn was down to five horses. He wrapped up the year with just four wins. "It was the first time in my life that I wrote a resume," Attard recalled. "I had a...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the win of Luther (Frankel) in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Frankel Colt Pens His Name Into The Hall Of Fame Paul Hickman and Nicholas Jones's Luther was put up via the disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns) in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 (video). The Frankel colt is trained by Charlie...

Grade I winners Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) went out Sunday morning and worked five furlongs together over the Oklahoma turf training track as the former continues preparations for an expected tilt in the GI E. P. Taylor Stakes Aug. 16 at Woodbine.. With the turf training track listed as firm, the pair cleared the five panels in 1:02.13 and left their conditioner very happy with what he saw from them. "They did a little five-eighths on the turf, really outstanding,"...

When Sedburys Ghost (Shaman Ghost) burst from the pack to capture the Plate Trial Stakes at Woodbine a week ago, the gelding gave his owner/breeder Yawen Wu her first stakes victory and has the Canadian engineer dreaming of her first trip to the King's Plate. After finishing fourth in the 1 1/16-mile GIII Marine Stakes in June, Sedburys Ghost was given just a 7-1 chance to win the Plate Trial at an extra half-furlong July 20. Wu admitted she wasn't sure herself how the strapping chestnut would do in the...

Woodbine Entertainment released the official wagering menu for the 166th running of the $1-million King's Plate, taking place Saturday, Aug. 16 at Woodbine Racetrack. A total of $1 million in guaranteed Pick 5 pools will anchor the day, the debut of The Kings & Queens Pick 3, a special Pick-3 sequence linking the day's three marquee races. $200,000 bet365 GII King Edward Stakes $750,000 GI E.P. Taylor Stakes - A Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" race $1,000,000 King's Plate The special Pick-3 will carry a $5 minimum...

4th-DMR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 6:33 p.m. Amr Zedan went to an eye-watering OBS record $3,000,000 to acquire BRANT (Gun Runner) from consigner Eddie Woods back in March and the colt makes his debut at Del Mar for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Working in an impressive time of :9 3/5, he was a huge pinhook for St. Clair Stables who picked him up for just $200,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September. Brant is out of a winning Liam's Map half-sister to GSW/GISP and young stallion Pappacap...

  5. BARB, SAR, 7/16, 7 furlongs (2nd) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 87 (3, g, by Candy Ride {Arg}--Classic Point, by Flatter) O-Flying P Stable. B-Marc Keller (Ky). T-Mike Maker. J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. He faded after setting the pace vs ultra-fast BAQ maidens April 19 (the top three made our Five Fastest Maidens), and Mike Maker and owner Jason Provenzano saw enough to claim him next out when dropped to $75,000. His Beyers already have improved 10+ points, and Maker hasn't even run him 1 3/8 miles on turf yet....

Charles Fipke's Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready) hadn't visited the winner's circle since January, however, she found the right time to mark her return, collecting her first taste of black-type in the process, in Sunday's GII Canadian Stakes at Woodbine. Favored Gimme a Nother (SAf) (Gimmethegreenlight {Aus}) soon went to the front, slowing the pace to a modest :24.60 and :49.37 as Ready for Shirl set up shop about three lengths behind in the early stages of the nine-furlong test. Continuing to dawdle along through three quarters in 1:14.24,...

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...

Sedburys Ghost came flying late to take the Plate Trial Stakes and throw his name into the mix for next month's King's Plate, a race won by his sire in 2015. The 7-1 shot settled in midpack around the first turn as Scorching prompted the pace set by longshot Unbridled Weather and favored Notorious Gangster trailed the field. The pack began bunching up as the half went up in :47.22 and second choice Scorching took charge into the far turn, but Sedburys Ghost was inching ominously through traffic with Notorious...

Fresh off their 4,000th and 2,600th victories, respectively, trainer Mark Casse and D. J. Stable will try to add to those lofty achievements in Sunday's C$500,000 Woodbine Oaks. Casse, who is looking to tie trainer Jim Day as a five-time winner of the nine-furlong contest, has no fewer than five chances, two of which are campaigned by the Green family. Winterberry (Frosted) has won half of her six trips to the post, including last year's seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes as a short-priced favorite and a latest pillar-to-post success in the...

With a soft crunch of the ground beneath and a spring in that step of his out of the box, Two Out Hero (War Front--Song River, by Liam's Map) was smashing as he graduated on debut at Woodbine on Sunday which earned him a 'TDN Rising Star' patch for his saddlecloth. In a race which was moved from the turf to the all-weather, the 2-year-old first-timer did not mind the new surface one iota. Tearing up the base paths, Two Out Hero clearly distanced himself from the rest of field...