Grade 3 Autumn: Cool Kiss looks for second straight graded score

November 6, 2025

TORONTO, November 6, 2025 – Marty Drexler sends out the duo of Cool Kiss and Classic Mo Town in the $150,000 HPIbet Autumn Stakes (G3), Saturday at Woodbine.

The 1 1/8-mile main track event for 3-year-olds and up has drawn 13 starters, including the Drexler pair.

Last time out, at 17-1, Cool Kiss got up in the final jumps to take the $150,000 Durham Cup (G3), a 1 1/16-mile main track feature for 3-year-olds and up, on September 20.

It was the first stakes triumph for the son of Kantharos out of the Philanthropist mare Hot Kiss.

“We were going in there with the knowledge that this horse can really run,” said Drexler, who claimed the dark bay gelding for $40,000 last October on behalf of owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. “I said, in the interview after the race, that he can really run and he isn’t limited in distance at all, which was nice knowing that we went into the race with some confidence as far as that goes. And he got a great trip from Sahin Civaci, who is coming back to ride him on Saturday.

“I guess we’ll find out if it [Durham Cup] was for real. Was I a bit surprised? A little, I would say. That morning, we were going over the race and talking about whether it was too tough of a task or if it was worth trying. The horse was ready and we drew the rail, which was beneficial at that time.”

Bred in Ontario by Phoenix Racing, Cool Kiss is 4-4-1 from 23 starts, with $294,449 in purse earnings.

“It’s a big field, but he’s a nice horse,” said Drexler, who is closing in on 900 career wins “He’s a light-framed horse, but he’s got a big heart. He is pretty cool on race day. He can be sharp in the mornings. The first time we raced him this year, he was a little bit over the top – he got a little worked up in the paddock. We took him back and paddock schooled him a few times and he has settled down nicely. He’s pretty confident right now, which means a lot. If they are going over confident and comfortable, they usually act a little more relaxed.”

Greg Howell is the groom.

Classic Mo Town, a 5-year-old son of Mo Town out of the Potrillon (ARG) mare Potra Clasica (ARG), will contest his fifth straight graded stakes event.

Sporting a record of 6-3-8 ($303,11) from 25 starts, the gelding, owned by Bruno Schickedanz, took all the spoils in the Eclipse Stakes (G2), a 1 1/16-mile main track affair for 4-year-olds and up, on May 31 at Woodbine.

His best finish following the Eclipse was a fourth in the Seagram Cup Stakes (G3) on August 2.

“He’s just a warrior, an old-school type,” said Drexler. “It seems like the past two seasons, the question of whether he is good enough or not seems to crop up. But then he goes out and wins the Eclipse and does it so well. He never really runs a bad race. A lot of the time, each race is like a replica of the one before it, at least numbers-wise.”

Bred in Florida by John B. Penn & Sue’s Farm II, LLC, the bay, who was runner-up in last year’s Valedictory Stakes (G3), broke his maiden in his fourth start, the milestone coming at Gulfstream Park on July 28, 2023.

“He’s doing really well right now,” said the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner. “I thought he was going through a little something in the summer where I didn’t really think he was at his best, and you wondered whether he was going to come back to be the same horse. Now, it seems like he is good again.

“Last year, he got really good around this time and then went on to have a great result in the Valedictory. So, that could be another race that is on the horizon if all goes well.”

Eswan Flores gets the call.

Ned Hayes is the groom.

First post time is 1:05 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action viaHPIbet.com and bet365.

The wagering menu for the race includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta and $1 Swinger.

Field for the Grade 3 Autumn – Race 10

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Swift Delivery – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
2 – Paramount Prince – Pietro Moran – Mark Casse
3 – Dresden Row – Ryan Munger – Lorne Richards
4 – Loose Wire – Aurelien Lemaitre – Kevin Attard
5 – Map’s a Breeze – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll
6 – Borealis Trail – Jose Campos – Rachel Halden
7 – Funtastic Again – Victor Espinoza – Wesley Ward
8 – Cameo Performance – Declan Cannon – Brendan Walsh
9 – Classic Mo Town – Eswan Flores – Marty Drexler
10 – Jokestar – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
11 – Cool Kiss – Sahin Civaci – Marty Drexler
12 – Wyoming Bill – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Catherine Day Phillips
13 – Lost Ark – Jalon Samuel – Krista Cole