Stablemates Ancient Spirit, A Touch of Red a formidable duo in South Ocean / Poulin in O T seeks fourth career score in Frost King

October 12, 2022

Stablemates Ancient Spirit, A Touch of Red a formidable duo in South Ocean

TORONTO, October 12, 2022—Ancient Spirit and A Touch of Red, a pair of homebreds trained by Sid Attard for Howard Walton, will be looking to continue their winning ways in Friday’s South Ocean Stakes.

The South Ocean, a 6 1/2 -furlong main-track race for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, shares top billing with the $100,000 Frost King on the eight-race Friday program. The Frost King, with a field of seven Ontario-sired colts and geldings, will be contested over the same distance and surface.

Competing for Walton’s Norseman Racing Stable, Ancient Spirit is 2-for-2 with her successful opener coming at five furlongs on the inner turf course having been followed by a sharp score in the restricted Victorian Queen at about seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor surface.

Ancient Spirit will be looking to complete a very interesting triple by opening her career with wins over each of Woodbine’s surfaces.

“I really think she’ll be okay,” said Attard. “She trained very good (on the Tapeta), too. I’d say she trained the same like she trained on the grass.”

Rafael Hernandez, top stakes-winning rider at the meeting with 13 such victories under his belt, retains the mount.

A Touch of Red also is undefeated after tallying by a widening five lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden optional claimer on September 10. The hot apprentice rider Slade Jones, who will be riding without his allowance in this stakes race, retains the mount.

“I really think she’s a nice filly, too—very nice,” said Attard. “We like her a lot.”

Both Ancient Spirit and A Touch of Red are daughters of Signature Red, a dual stakes winner and winner of some $650,000 for Attard and Walton.

Anam Cara also is a stakes winner with her success coming in the Muskoka, a yearling sales stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs here August 28. Purchased for just $3,000 at the premier local yearling sale, Anam Cara had won her debut at 5 ½ furlongs on the main track before finishing fifth behind Ancient Spirit in the Victorian Queen.

The daughter of Frac Daddy and the Giant’s Causeway mare, Me Love, has gone postward as the favourite under jockey Patrick Husbands in each of her three starts for owner/trainer Sarah Ritchie.

South Ocean Stakes

Post—Horse—Jockey--Trainer

1—A Touch of Red—Slade Jones—Sid Attard

2—Holiday With Amy—Skye Chernetz—Patrick Dixon

3—Anam Cara—David Moran—Sarah Ritchie

4—Ancient Spirit—Rafael Hernandez—Sid Attard

5—Strike the Pose—Leo Salles—Ravendra Raghunath

6—I’m A Bourbon Girl—Justin Stein—John Staples

Bill Tallon, for Woodbine Communications

Poulin in O T seeks fourth career score in Frost King

TORONTO, October 12, 2022— Poulin in O T, a winner of three of four career starts including a pair of stakes for trainer Steve Owens, looms as the horse to beat in Friday’s Frost King.

The Frost King attracted a field of seven and goes as the seventh race.

Poulin in O T, a gelding by Reload out of the Dance Brightly mare Town Dance, is coming off a 2 ¼-length score in the restricted Bull Page Stakes over about seven furlongs of the E.P. Taylor turf course on September 24.

‘He’s coming back on short rest,” said Owens. “I’d like five weeks better but he’s a big, strong horse and he should be alright.”

Poulin in O T began his career with back-to-back victories -to-back victories over the Tapeta surface, flaunting his speed in his 4 ½-furlong opener at the $40,000 optional claiming level and doubling up in the open Victoria Stakes at 5 ½-furlongs.

His first defeat came in his next appearance, when he faltered in the open Soaring Free Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on the main turf, but he came back to dominate the Bull Page on the front end with Patrick Husbands aboard for the first time.

“Everything didn’t go according to plan there,” said Owens. “Now he comes back on the Tapeta, which I think is his preferred surface.”

Husbands again will do the honours.

Boss Holiday was no match for Poulin in O T as the 2-5 choice when both were debuting but has since graduated while competing at the same level and then finished a good second behind stablemate Velocitor under first-level allowance terms. Justin Stein returns aboard the Ivan Dalos homebred for trainer Kevin Attard.

Frost King Stakes

Post—Horse—Jockey—Trainer

1—Silent Fortune—Kazushi Kimura—Gail Cox

2—Boss Holiday—Justin Stein—Kevin Attard

3—Half to Reload—Sahin Civaci—Philip Hall

4—Gem Quality—Rafael Hernandez—Kartrina Vassilieva

5—Posturing—Juan Crawford—Patrick Dixon

6—Poulin in O T—Patrick Husbands—Steve Owens

7—Crimson Comet—Gary Boulanger—Stuart Simon

Bill Tallon, for Woodbine Communications