In the races before Woodbine stages a rescheduled King's Plate Stakes Aug. 23, undercard events Friday will feature some familiar, winning names as War Bomber and Patches O'Houlihan seek return victories in the day's graded events after having success in 2023.
Bruno Schickedanz's War Bomber sprung a mild upset last year as he took the CA$205,700 King Edward Stakes (G2T). The now 6-year-old War Front gelding showed heart and determination through a long stretch battle to emerge with his second graded win.
Video: King Edward S. (G2T)
The victory may have taken the wind out of his sails as he failed to reproduce that effort while finishing off the board in his next four starts. However, he showed July 20 that he's rounding back into form at the right time with a solid runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T), the same race and result he used as a springboard to King Edward glory last year.
Returning to the one-mile distance, at which he is 3-for-6, the Irish-bred looks for his eighth victory in 25 starts in an attempt to add to his $470,357 in earnings.
Finishing a neck ahead of him in the Connaught was Michael Lay's Cruden Bay, a 6-year-old son of Big Screen bred in Ontario. The gelding has won two consecutive starts since trainer Donald MacRae transferred riding duties to last year's Sovereign Award-winning apprentice jockey Sofia Vives.
The pair will face a new challenger in the shape of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch's Filo Di Arianna, who entered the King Edward winner's circle back in 2022.
After that victory, the Brazilian-bred Drosselmeyer gelding took on some of the best turf sprinters and milers in the United States and performed respectably against the likes of Casa Creed , Emmanuel, and Cogburn .
Following consecutive defeats at the hooves of Cogburn, the Mark Casse trainee returned home to Woodbine and exuded his class with a 2 1/4-length win in the June 29 Highlander Stakes (G2T).
In six starts at Woodbine, Filo Di Arianna has won five while finishing second in the other. His Toronto heroics have represented $344,385 of his $527,816 in career earnings.
Woodbine, Friday, August 23, 2024, Race 7Entries: bet365 King Edward S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Cruden Bay (ON) Sofia Vives 124 Donald C. MacRae 7/2 2 2Ironstone (ON) Ryan Munger 121 W. V. Armata 12/1 3 3Wicked Django (ON) Keveh Nicholls 121 Krista Cole 15/1 4 4Like the King (KY) Patrick Husbands 121 Mark E. Casse 10/1 5 5Secret Reserve (ON) Leo Salles 121 Michael Mattine 20/1 6 6War Bomber (IRE) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 123 Norman McKnight 5/1 7 7Kaukokaipuu (ON) Eswan Flores 121 Tedston Holder 20/1 8 8Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) Kazushi Kimura 124 Mark E. Casse 4/5
Speedy Patches O'Houlihan Attempts to Continue Dominance in Bold Venture
While War Bomber warms up for his attempt at consecutive King Edward wins, Patches O'Houlihan will be cooling down from what owner/breeder Frank Di Giulio Jr. hopes will be a successful title defense in the CA$150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3) going 6 1/2 furlongs.
The Bold Venture is where the then 3-year-old Ontario-bred speedster officially introduced himself to Canadian racing fans, stepping up against older horses to earn his first graded victory.
Dreams of a perfect season came to an end in his seventh and final start of 2023, but the Reload gelding's Bold Venture and Vigil Stakes (G3) victories propelled him to Sovereign Award honors as champion male sprinter.
Teaming up with another Sovereign Award winner, Vives, for the first time, the homebred gelding romped by six lengths in the July 28 Pink Lloyd Stakes to kick off his 4-year-old campaign.
Trained by Robert Tiller, Patches O'Houlihan is 8-for-10 lifetime for earnings of $376,234.
For the speedy champion to retain his title, he will have to defeat a new up-and-comer in the sprint division: Playmea Tune.
Campaigned by trainer Josie Carroll for Chiefswood Stables, the 4-year-old Maclean's Music gelding is 2-for-2 with a combined win margin of 16 1/2 lengths.
Woodbine, Friday, August 23, 2024, Race 8Entries: Bold Venture S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Capture the Lion (FL) Sahin Civaci 123 Mark E. Casse 15/1 2 2Ironstone (ON) Ryan Munger 122 W. V. Armata 8/1 3 3Patches O'Houlihan (ON) Sofia Vives 124 Robert P. Tiller 7/5 4 4Border Town (KY) Leo Salles 122 Martin Drexler 3/1 5 5I'm A Gambler (IRE) Pietro Moran 123 Kevin Attard 6/1 6 6Playmea Tune (ON) Kazushi Kimura 123 Josie Carroll 4/1 7 7First Empire (ON) Patrick Husbands 122 Mark E. Casse 12/1
