Over the weekend, Ontario horse racing fans had the opportunity to watch another riveting event of Thoroughbreds on Woodbine Racetrack. On Sunday, November 6, 2022, the Toronto track hosted the Grade 2 CA$177,050 Autumn Stakes, which was won by the four-year-old son of Tonalist-Shine Forth, the exciting Who’s the Star who lived up to the hype again.
Woodbine Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located at 555 Rexdale Boulevard Toronto, Ontario and it is owned by the largest horse racing operator in the province, Woodbine Entertainment. Since 2015, the track only hosts Thoroughbred racing, as the Breeders Crown was moved to its Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario.
Sunday’s Action
On Sunday, the Mark Casse trainee Who’s the Star arrived at the track after having clutched two stakes’ scores in his past three races. At the start of the race, the horse owned by M Racing Group, LLC, did not seem to be able to pull it off, however, a late bit of magic and a strong ride from Emma-Jayne Wilson, were enough to make it first to the finish line.
Canada’s two-time Horse of the Year, Mighty Heart, was leading the line into the first turn, closely followed by Treason, Harlan Estate and Money Printer, while Who’s the Star sat last out of ten participants. After leading its competitors in the opening quarter with :23.59, Might Heart was quickly reached by Treason, who then reached the half in :46.79.
The two continued to go head-to-head into the turn for home with Treason gaining advantage as the field straightened for home. Midway down the lane, War Bomber upped its game and sweated out the leader, but it was confronted by Who’s the Start. But in the end, the latter put on a shift and triumphed with a time of 1:41.10 on the Woodbine Tapeta.
In the end, War Bomber got to second place, while Novo Sol climbed to third, and Treason remained fourth. This was the sixth-lifetime win for Who’s the Star, which was accompanied by a second and two thirds from 16 starts. Who’s the Star, sent off as the 3-1 choice, paid $8.50 for the win.
Recent Woodbine Ent. Highlights
In October, Woodbine Entertainment’s Standardbred track Woodbine Mohawk Park hosted the 2022 Breeders Crown. For this year’s edition of the event, the track reported an impressive handle of CA$8,945,779 for both online and on-track wagers. Over 77% of the handle came from the United States and 23% from Canada, while 60% of the handle was wagered online, with the rest at tracks and OTBs.
In September, the leading horse racing operator also reported that it has assigned Hugh Mitchell as Board Chair of the group. Prior to his appointment, he has been part of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2018, he was also President and Chief Executive Officer of Western Fair District in London, Ontario.
Source: “Who’s the Star shines in Grade 2 Autumn” Woodbine Entertainment, November 6, 2022
