Fresh off a victory in the Canadian Stakes (G2T), Proctor Street will look to carry her winning momentum into the $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) Oct. 3 at Woodbine. The Brendan Walsh trainee will face a six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race over the E.P. Taylor turf.
The Canadian Stakes was the 5-year-old Street Sense mare's first career graded stakes win following a trio of graded stakes-placed efforts in 2026. It was also the first time Pietro Moran, last year's Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey, had been paired with Proctor Street. He will be in the irons again Saturday.
Although she was fourth to Proctor Street in the Canadian Stakes, Power of Destiny is primed for a big effort. Her fourth-place effort in the Canadian Stakes can be forgiven, as she was running on just 10 days' rest after a hard-fought third in an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga Race Course.
"We had to wheel her back pretty quickly and when Johnny (Velazquez) got off after the Canadian, he said that having more time between the races would have been preferable, but she was still competitive and game," said trainer James Bentley Begg.
"I think if she would have run her race, she could have been third, so that is why we have given her some extra time between that race and this one."
Canadian Stakes runner-up Eponine, millionaire Pin Up Betty, and Yellow Ribbon Stakes (G2T) winner Warming will look to take down the top challengers.
Woodbine, Saturday, October 3, 2026, Race 6Entries: bet365 Dance Smartly S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Proctor Street (KY) Pietro Moran 124 Brendan P. Walsh 5/2 2 2Power of Destiny (GB) Ryan Munger 121 James Bentley Begg 10/1 3 3Pin Up Betty (KY) Rajiv Maragh 122 Michael J. Maker 8/1 4 4Warming (KY) Fraser Aebly 124 H. Graham Motion 2/1 5 5Eponine (IRE) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 121 Kevin Attard 3/1 6 6Elysian Field (ON) Romero Ramsay Maragh 122 Mark E. Casse 6/1 7 7Ozara (IRE) Sahin Civaci 121 Miguel Clement 15/1
Go For Launch Heads Algonquin
The Kevin Attard-trained Go for Launch will go for her third consecutive win in Saturday's CA$250,000 Algonquin Stakes (G3T). The 2-year-old daughter of Flightline turned heads in her last outing, winning the Bolton Landing Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.
"The one thing you hope to see from a young horse with plenty of promise is the ability to get better in everything they do from week to week," Attard said. "And that's what she has shown us.
"The growth—mentally, physically, and otherwise—is there. Now she has to step up again, and we have every reason to believe she is ready for that moment."
Attard also trained Go for Launch's dam, multiple grade 1 winner and earner of more than $2 million Starship Jubilee.
Mark Casse will send out a top threat in Speaker's Speech, an $875,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The team proved their belief in the horse by debuting him in the Soaring Free Stakes Aug. 15 at Woodbine, where he lost only by a head to De la Renta, who was recently second in the Natalma Stakes (G1T).
A field of six 2-year-olds will line up for the 5-furlong race.
Entries: bet365 Algonquin S. (G3T)
Woodbine, Saturday, October 3, 2026, Race 7
- Grade III
- 5f
- Inner turf
- $250,000
- 2 yo
- 4:20 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Speaker's Speech (KY) | Rafael Manuel Hernandez | 118 | Mark E. Casse | 7/2 |
| 2 | 2Lou's Room (KY) | Sahin Civaci | 118 | George Weaver | 10/1 |
| 3 | 3Mrs D (KY) | Jose Luis Campos | 117 | Steven Chircop | 6/1 |
| 4 | 4Go for Launch (KY) | Pietro Moran | 119 | Kevin Attard | 4/5 |
| 5 | 5Allura (KY) | Emma-Jayne Wilson | 117 | Kelsey Danner | 5/1 |
| 6 | 6Excessif (KY) | Fraser Aebly | 120 | H. Graham Motion | 8/1 |
Western Whirl Takes on Six in Nearctic
Chiefswood Stables' 5-year-old gelding Western Whirl, who was a close third in last year's edition of the CA$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (G3T), will take on a field of six in the 6-furlong turf sprint Saturday.
"He's just a very honest type of horse," said trainer Stuart Simon. "He is just such a consistent type and has developed into a nice, quality sprinter. He tries all the time, and he's become more consistent the older he has gotten."
He will face King Edward Stakes (G2T) winner Gas Me Up. The Hard Spun gelding faced a tough task last time out in the Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T), finishing a respectable third to Notable Speech and four-time grade 1 winner Deterministic .
Woodbine, Saturday, October 3, 2026, Race 8Entries: Nearctic S. Presented by The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Works for Me (NY) Sahin Civaci 121 Joseph R. Lee 10/1 2 2Victory Achieved (FL) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 121 Mark E. Casse 5/2 3 3Isivunguvungu (SAF) Ryan Munger 121 H. Graham Motion 20/1 4 4Western Whirl (ON) Fraser Aebly 121 Stuart C. Simon 8/1 5 5Gas Me Up (ON) Pietro Moran 124 Kevin Attard 2/1 6 6Nobals (KY) E. T. Baird 123 Larry Rivelli 7/2 7 7Essex Serpent (ON) Emma-Jayne Wilson 121 Mark E. Casse 6/1
