The 2024 Canadian Horse of the Year, Patches O'Houlihan, took an early lead under Sofia Vives and kept it to win the six-furlong $171,337 Highlander Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine in dramatic fashion.
Vives had her hands full attempting to keep Frank Di Giulio Jr.'s homebred Reload gelding from bearing out on the far turn. Down the stretch, Patches O'Houlihan veered away from his competition to the middle of the turf course, but still managed to outfinish My Boy Prince by a neck while Dresden Row finished third.
Patches O’Houlihan, trained by Robert Tiller, posted a finish time of 1:08.39 over the good turf, and paid $3.60 to win.
Following the race, Vives pulled up the 5-year-old gelding and he was vanned off the track. Woodbine Communications later posted on X that Patches O'Houlihan had sustained a soft tissue injury and was "back at the barn and resting comfortably after being assessed by the veterinarians."
Nonetheless, the Ontario-bred improved his record to 2-for-2 this season while earning his sixth career graded triumph. Overall, he is 13-for-16 with earnings of $853,848.
Video: bet365 Highlander S. (G2T)
Ocean Club Upsets Nassau in Wire-to-Wire Style
Glen Hill Farm's homebred Ocean Club used her speed to take control of the $180,700 Nassau Stakes (G2T) early and posted a 12-1 upset of the mile turf race for older fillies and mares.
Ridden by Vives, Ocean Club set fractions of :23.22, :46, and 1:09.16 en route to a final time of 1:33.62 over the turf course rated good. Charles Fipke's Ready for Shirl closed late to finish second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, and it was another head back to owner/trainer Brandon Greer's Blueberry Fields in third.
Canada's 2024 champion 3-year-old filly Caitlinhergrtness finished eighth as the 1.25-to-1 favorite.
Tom Proctor trained the winner, a 5-year-old Curlin mare bred in Kentucky out of the stakes-winning War Front mare Theatre Star. Ocean Club has won four stakes lifetime, including the 2024 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack. She improved her overall record to 6-3-4 from 20 career starts, with earnings of $607,446.
Curlin stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington for a stud fee of $225,000 this year.
Video: Nassau S. (G2T)
Stakes RoundUp
- Al and Bill Ulwelling's Mansetti stalked the pace early and drove clear in the final eighth to post a one-length victory in the $128,502 Marine Stakes (G3). The 3-year-old son of Collected , ridden by Pietro Moran and trained by Kevin Attard, ran the 1 1/16 miles on the synthetic track in 1:45.
- Serendipity scored the first stakes win of her career in front-running fashion in the $152,100 Selene Stakes (G3) for owners NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods. Trained by Josie Carroll, the 3-year-old Street Sense filly won by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Rafael Hernandez in a final time of 1:45.22 on the all-weather track.
- The Wesley Ward-trained Funtastic Again shipped north and came away with the win in the $158,100 Dominion Day Stakes (G3) for older horses on the all-weather. Racing for Three Chimneys Farm, the 5-year-old son of Funtastic complete the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.28.
