Category: Woodbine

A Grade 1 Double for Jockey Andrea Atzeni at Woodbine

Jockey Andrea Atzeni had ridden in the Canadian International thrice before, Jwith his previous best finish coming when he guided Seismos to a third-place finish in 2013.  Today, he did two placings better when guiding Desert Encounter home in the day’s flagship race, with a furious late rally that carried them past favoured Thundering Blue. Less than an... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 13, 2018 at 9:25 pm
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2018 Canadian International Day Picks and Ponderings

Saturday’s card at Woodbine features the Grade 1 Canadian International, which drew a top-notch field of eleven, and should be a fantastic betting race.  It’s the headliner of four stakes races, all of which drew intriguing fields and should make for excellent betting races, no matter whether you like to play intra-race exotics or multi-race... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 12, 2018 at 1:40 pm
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2018 Ontario Derby Preview

The Ontario Derby began its life as the Colonel R. S. MacLaughlin Handicap, and carried MacLaughlin’s name from its inauguration in 1972 until it took the Ontario Derby name in 2003.  It began as a nine and a half-furlong race for three-year-olds over the main track.  It was shortened to its current nine-furlong distance in... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 11, 2018 at 10:26 pm
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2018 Nearctic Stakes Preview

The Nearctic Stakes takes its name from Nearctic, the 1958 Canadian Horse of the Year.  Owned by E. P. Taylor and trained by Pete McCann, this Ontario-bred ran in stakes company from age two through age four, winning 21 of his 47 career starts.  As good as he was on the racetrack, Nearctic stood out... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 11, 2018 at 9:22 pm
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2018 E. P. Taylor Stakes Preview

In addition to the Canadian International, Saturday’s card at Woodbine features another Grade 1 event: the E. P. Taylor Stakes, a $500,000 event for filly and mare turf routers ages three and above. The race was first run in 1956 as the Nettie Handicap, but was renamed in 1981 after Edward Plunket Taylor.  He started... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 11, 2018 at 6:42 pm
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2018 Canadian International Preview

The Canadian International began in 1938 as a 1 1/16 mile race on the dirt at Long Branch, called the Long Branch Championship.  Its name changed to the Canadian Championship the next year, and has carried some variation of that “Canadian” moniker ever since.  Over the years it has been run at distances as short... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 11, 2018 at 3:37 pm
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2018 Woodbine Mile Preview

The race we now know as the Woodbine Mile was not originally run at a mile. It was originally called the Molson Export Challenge, restricted to three-year-olds, and run at ten furlongs starting in 1988. In 1991 the race shortened up to nine furlongs, and was further shortened to a mile in 1997. That 1997... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 12, 2018 at 9:25 pm
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2018 Queen's Plate and Highlander Stakes Preview

With stakes action quiet for a week at Arlington — it picks back up on July 7 for Ride to the Million Day — Picks and Ponderings will be turning our eyes north of the border for one of Woodbine’s flagship days. The Queen’s Plate is the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, and with... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
June 28, 2018 at 11:41 pm
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2017 Canadian International in Pictures

Friday morning, before sunrise at Woodbine.
Sunday was Canadian International Day at Woodbine.  The day’s racing action featured four graded stakes races: the Canadian International (G1) for open company at a mile and a half on grass, the E. P. Taylor (G1) for fillies going a mile and a quarter on the turf, the six-furlong Nearctic Stakes (G2) for turf sprinters,... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 17, 2017 at 8:17 pm
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2017 Canadian International Day Stakes Preview

For the second year in a row, Picks and Ponderings is on site at the Canadian International, so make sure to follow us on Twitter for live news and notes from Woodbine! Sunday’s card at Woodbine features four graded stakes races, anchored by the Grade 1, mile and a half Canadian International, one of Woodbine’s three flagship... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
October 13, 2017 at 7:25 pm
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