Last weekend was quite the spectacle at Woodbine Racetrack as on Sunday the track hosted its Grade 2 CA$175,000 Autumn Stakes. Eight horses went head-to-head for the crown, however, the reigning Canadian Horse of the year Mighty Heart managed to emerge victorious by overcoming renowned fillies such as Sir Winston, Special Forces, and a few others on the turf.
The races fielded a total of eight horses, including Special Forces, Vanzzy, Primo Touch, Sir Winston, Faraway Kitten, Halo Again, Embolden, and the winner Mighty Heart. The Autumn Stakes was featured as race number eight on Sunday’s race card out of a total of 11 racing events. Fans were able to wager on the race on HPIbet.com or using the Dark Horse Bets app.
Dominating Sunday’s Race
Mighty Heart who is trained by Josie Carroll for the owner and breeder Lawrence Cordes returned in a spectacular fashion on the 1 1/16-mile oval at Woodbine Racetrack on Sunday. The horse started off really well as at the half-mile he had a one-length lead with a time of 47.23 seconds. The 2020 Queen’s Plate winner continued its advance as it had a one a half-length lead at the stretch call.
The reigning Canada horse of the year managed to grab the win with ease with a final time of 1:42.51. Three-quarters of a length behind him finished the 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston who came second. Closely behind him was Special Forces at third, and Halo Again claimed the fourth spot.
Patrick Husbands who rode the horse to victory shared a few words on their win. The driver said that the horse has demonstrated his full potential of a true champion during Sunday’s Autumn Stakes. He said that at the Durham Cup, where he first rode the horse, at the three-eighths pole the horse just paused and he was not able to motivate him again. But this did not repeat on Sunday as the filly dominated the race.
Ms. Carroll also shared her joy with the results. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member said that horses like Mighty Heart are hard to find. According to her, the one-eyed horse is never affected by his handicaps and once again proves himself. The winner paid CA$9.20 to win the stakes, and it was his sixth victory from a total of 15 career starts.
Home of Many Races
Over the course of a racing season, the Woodbine Racetrack is a host of many and exciting Thoroughbred racing contests. For example, in the summer the track was the host of the respected The Queen’s Plate which came with over CA$1 million in purses. The prestigious race was one by Safe Conduct with a final time of 2:02.84, with Riptide Rock and Take a Chance placing second and third respectively
New Winter Events
Additionally, Woodbine Entertainment, the company that operates the Woodbine Racetrack, announced that it will be hosting even more winter events but its other property – Woodbine Mohawk Park. The leader added pair of claiming series for Ontario-sired four-year-olds, and the events Ontario Boys and Ontario Girls for Ontario-sired four-year-olds to its Winter Series schedule. Further details can be found on the company’s official website.
Source: “Canada’s horse of the year scores in Grade 2 Autumn Stakes”, Horse Racing Nation, November 15, 2021
