Ballade Stakes: Pleasure’s Gold arrives in winning form
TORONTO, June 21, 2023 – Pleasure’s Gold, a 4-year-old daughter of Souper Speedy-Good as Gold, chases her second stakes crown in Saturday’s $100,000 Ballade, at Woodbine.
A six-furlong main track event for Ontario sired fillies & mares, 4-year-olds and upward, the Ballade has attracted a competitive field of 10 starters.
Trained by Tino Attard for owners/breeders Elizabeth and Gordon Lickrish, Pleasure’s Gold, winner of last year’s Rondeau Stakes, arrives at her latest test off a sharp 7 ¼-length score in her first start of 2023, contested over 6 ½ panels on the Woodbine Tapeta on May 19.
Now, the dark bay will look to notch back-to-back wins for the first time in her career.
“We were very happy with the last race,” said Attard. “We’ve been very lucky to have this horse in our barn. Every start, she goes out and tries. It doesn’t matter the surface or the distance, she gives everything she has.”
Pleasure’s Gold debuted on November 27, 2021, in a 6 ½-furlong Tapeta race at the Toronto oval. After hesitating at the start, she rallied to finish third in her only start of the campaign.
After a third to kick-off her 2022 season, she broke her maiden in a six-furlong main track race on June 12.
Pleasure’s Gold brings a 3-2-2 mark from nine starts into the Ballade.
“She is just so consistent,” praised Attard. “She goes out and does it all so professionally. She loves her job, and you can see that in the way she works and the way she races. We hope she has another big effort coming on Saturday.”
Other starters include multiple stakes-placed Souper Flashy, graded stakes-placed Miss Speedy, and five-time winner Ol’ Blondie.
The race is part of Ontario Racing's (TIP) Ontario Sired Stakes Program.
The Ballade is race six on Saturday’s nine-race card. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
$100,000 BALLADE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Talk to Ya Later – Ryan Munger – Ian Black.
2 – Sacred Dancer – Jodeien Anderson – Don Pleterski
3 – Pleasure’s Gold – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard
4 – Diamond Crush – Leo Salles – Shana Lopez
5 – Souper Flashy – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
6 – Souper Pecan – Juan Crawford – George Billers
7 – Artie’s Princess – Patrick Husbands – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
8 – Ol’ Blondie – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Paul Buttigieg
9 – Miss Speedy – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
10 – Gamble’s Silver – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
