Ten hopefuls vie for top prize in Cup & Saucer Stakes / Hazelbrook goes for second straight G3 Ontario Fashion score
TORONTO, October 11, 2023 – Arashi will go after his second straight score when he goes postward in Saturday’s $250,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes at Woodbine.
A 1 1/16-mile event for Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds run over the E.P. Taylor turf, the 86th running of the Cup & Saucer has drawn 10 hopefuls, including Arashi, an Ontario-bred son of Karakontie (JPN)-Don’t Tell Lou.
Bred and owned by Sangreal Investments, LLC, the bay finished fifth in his debut, a 6 ½-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor on July 23.
One race later, the Gail Cox trainee fought on gamely to finish second in a one-mile race over the same surface but was elevated to first after an inquiry.
“I think he’s a very nice horse who is also very mature when he runs,” said Cox. “He’ll go through traffic, he doesn’t care where he is in the race, and he’ll run hard. His pedigree and how he runs shows that he is a turf horse. I like him. He did become a winner because someone got their number taken down – and that horse didn’t interfere with us – but I still think Arashi ran a very big race there.”
Cox, who won the 2011 edition of the Cup & Saucer with Hard Not to Like, is pleased with how her rookie gelding is coming into his first stakes test.
“He had really worked quite well heading into his first start and then on from there. I have trained others from the family that weren’t as good, so when he first came to us, you weren’t expecting a lot.”
Arashi, which means storm in Japanese, has had a series of steady works ahead of Saturday’s engagement, including a five-furlong breeze, in :59.00 over the Woodbine Tapeta on October 7.
“He actually has an odd personality. He’s quite mean, very mean, but good when you’re on him, which is the important part. In the stall, not so much. You have to be very careful in the stall. I don’t know why, but now we have a good system in place with him. He paddocks wells, he’s good in the gate, and he’s not worried where other horses are. He’s trained forwardly every start. He’s a very good work horse.”
The groom is Carlos Balbuena.
Other hopefuls include the Mark Casse trio English Jubilee, Magic Slips, and My Boy Prince, and Kevin Attard trainees King Rosso, War Painter, and Zippy Gizmo.
Hall of Fame trainer Jim Day has won 10 editions of the Cup & Saucer, including seven straight runnings from 1984-1990.
Saturday’s 11-race card also features the $150,000 Ontario Fashion (G3) and $150,000 Ontario Matron (G3).
The Cup & Saucer is slated as the eighth race. First post time is 1:15 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.
Cup & Saucer Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – King Rosso – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
2 – Arashi – Justin Stein – Gail Cox
3 – My Boy Prince – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
4 – English Jubilee – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
5 – Pontiac – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Barbara Minshall
6 – Magic Slips – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
7 – War Painter – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
8 – Awesome Entry – Eswan Flores – Krista Cole-Simpson
9 – Bearing Down – Luis Contreras – Philip Hall
10 – Zippy Gizmo – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
Hazelbrook goes for second straight G3 Ontario Fashion score
TORONTO, October 11, 2023 – Hazelbrook, Canada’s 2022 champion female sprinter, will defend her title in Saturday’s $150,000 Ontario Fashion (G3) Presented by Tanqueray at Woodbine.
A six-furlong main track event for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward, the Ontario Fashion has attracted 11 starters.
Trained by Lorne Richards, Hazelbrook, 6-2-2 from 13 starts, won last year’s race by three-quarters of a length as the 2-5 choice.
Although winless from three starts (sixth, third and sixth) in her 5-year-old campaign, the daughter of Bayern-Zaphia, who has had to contend with digestive complications throughout her racing career, is doing well ahead of the Ontario Fashion.
“With all the issues she’s had to deal with, she’s always gone out there and given a very honest effort,” said Richards. “There is no reason she can’t run well this weekend.”
Saturday’s race will likely be the final appearance for Hazelbrook, who is headed for the upcoming Keeneland Sale on November 7.
Bred in Kentucky by Mike Bilbrey, she is Hip No. 20, listed as a racing or broodmare prospect.
“We have her in the sale there, so this is probably her last race,” said Richards. “It’s been a tough journey for her. She’s been a nice horse and none of those issues were her fault. You feel bad she’s had to go through all that. I like her.”
Hazelbrook posted a 4-2-0 mark from six starts en route to her Sovereign recognition last year. Her 2022 triumphs also included stakes scores in the Hendrie (G3), at 26-1, and the Sweet Briar Too.
Owned by True North Stable, she debuted with a third-place effort in a six-furlong main track race at Woodbine on November 7, 2020, in her only start of the year.
Hazelbrook returned to racing the following September and proceeded to rhyme off two straight wins.
Richards, whose top horses have included Financingavailable, a multiple stakes winner, who took the 2007 Ontario Fashion and is a three-time Sovereign Award recipient, graded stakes-placed Stormy Rush, stakes winner Dancingall Theway, and graded stakes winner Sheila’s Prospect, is hoping Hazelbrook can come up with a big effort on Saturday.
“I liked her from the very start. The only thing is that she’s very quirky. She has had those issues with her digestive system for a while, so that’s something we’ve had to monitor closely. The clinic in Guelph told me it’s kind of like colitis. It’s something where you have to take it day-by-day, but there’s no denying she has plenty of talent. She can be high-strung, so we do our best. But I’m not going to complain. She shows up every time.”
Other starters include multiple graded stakes winner Our Flash Drive, graded stakes winners Ready to Venture (GB), and Loyalty, and stakes winner Spun Glass.
Field for the Ontario Fashion (Race 10)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Souper Munnings – Ryan Munger – Ian Wilkes
2 – Ready to Venture (GB) – Rafael Hernandez – Michael Stidham
3 – Hazelbrook – Jason Hoyte – Lorne Richards
4 – Spun Glass – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta
5 – Hard Edge – Eswan Flores – Stuart Simon
6 – Loyalty – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
7 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
8 – Vantarsi – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
9 – Time for an Angel (S) – Declan Carroll – W. John Bourke
10 – Awesome Treat – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Steve Attard
11 – Artie’s Princess – Sahin Civaci – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications / @WoodbineComms
