War Painter brushes to lead late in Ashbridges Bay / No More Options comes up big in Lake Ontario
TORONTO, November 17, 2024 – The Ontario Sired Heritage Series concluded Sunday at Woodbine with War Painter winning the $100,000 Ashbridges Bay Stakes and No More Options taking the $100,000 Lake Ontario Stakes.
The 1 1/16-mile main track events, the Lake Ontario for Ontario sired 3-year-old colts and geldings, and the Ashbridges Bay, for Ontario sired 3-year-old fillies, completed the bonus-laden eight-leg stakes series held at Woodbine and Fort Erie racetracks.
Sent off as the 4-1 third choice, War Painter, with Fraser Aebly in the irons, broke well and settled outside in fourth, as Never Silent showed the way early in the seven-horse Ashbridges Bay, reaching the opening quarter in :24.84
Never Silent maintained her advantage along the backstretch, tracked by the trio of longshot Frac Amour, 4-5 choice Hurricane Clair and War Painter.
Ahead by two lengths through a half in :49.26, Never Silent had company in the turn for home, with Little Teddy, in between horses, Hurricane Clair, along the rail, and a four-wide War Painter all closing in on the leader.
Little Teddy struck front in upper stretch, but Hurricane Clair burst through in a bid for the lead, while War Painter, under steady urging, looked to reel in her rivals.
At the wire, War Painter emerged on top courtesy of a gritty head score in a time of 1:44.93. Hurricane Clair was a head in front of Secret Load for second. Nikita’s Gem was a further neck back in fourth.
It was the second lifetime stakes triumph for the daughter of Danish Dynaformer out of the Tale of Ekati mare Morning Tale. Last year, the bay filly took top prize in the Victorian Queen.
“We broke well, we had some pretty good positioning going down the backside and when we hit the head of the lane she was running for me,” said Aebly. “Three jumps before the wire she just grabbed the bit again and took off.”
Trained by Kevin Attard for owner Canuck Racing Club, War Painter is now 3-4-1 from 11 career starts. It was the fourth consecutive stakes engagement for War Painter, who arrived at the Ashbridges Bay off a fifth in the Eternal Search on Oct. 26.
“It's very fitting for her,” said Attard, who won last year’s edition with Fashionably Fab. “She's danced all the dances, and we always thought there was more to her than what she's put up on the racetrack this year. So, for her to get this victory is very meaningful and special for us.”
Added Mark Halloran of Canuck Racing Club, “This won't be our last stakes win, that's our hope anyway. Working with Canuck Racing, we came up with this dream about two years ago. War Painter was one of our first horses. This is really meaningful for the group and there are a whole bunch of us here today and we're still growing.”
After a second and a third to launch her career, War Painter broke her maiden in the Victorian Queen.
Bred by Charles Fipke, she was a $30,000 (U.S.) purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.
War Painter paid $10.50 for today’s win.
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
No More Options comes up big in Lake Ontario
TORONTO, November 17, 2024 - In the $100,000 Lake Ontario, No More Options, at 4-5, glided to an easy victory under Ryan Munger.
No More Options, winner of last year’s Frost King Stakes, broke smoothly and glided to the front ahead of the wire for the first time, tracked by Jo Daddy, Junior Hot Shot, and Garofoli.
Ahead by a length through an opening panel in a tepid :25.18, No More Options yielded the lead to Jo Daddy prior to the half, which was reached in :49.33.
Rounding the turn for home, Munger called on No More Options and the dark bay responded with a quick turn of foot to grab control in early stretch.
In front by a length at the stretch call, the Zeljko Krcmar-trained colt dashed away from his pursuers on the way to an impressive 2 ¾-length victory in a time of 1:44.66. Junior Hot Shot was second, 2 ½ lengths in front of Cornwall. Jo Daddy was fourth.
“The first time I hopped on him, I personally believe I learned a lesson that day,” said Munger. “He feels like he doesn't really quicken but when he turns it on, he really turns it on.
“He deserves his place here and I think next year he'll come back even stronger.”
Krcmar echoed those thoughts.
“He's a powerhouse. Next year, he’ll look forward to the grass. I think he's a strictly grass horse.”
Owned by May Self, who is the daughter of Krcmar, No More Options was making his ninth start of the campaign. His dance card this year includes the Queenston Stakes (third) and The King’s Plate (eighth).
Finishing third in his first two starts last year, the son of Frac Daddy out of the unraced Birdstone mare Stoney Miss (her dam, Gold Strike, won the Woodbine Oaks and is the dam of 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike) is now 5-0-4 from 14 starts.
Bred by Laurel Byrne, No More Options came into the Lake Ontario on a winning note, taking a 7 ½-furlong race over the inner turf on Oct. 20.
He paid $3.80 for today’s win.
Ontario Racing and its Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) Committee unveiled the Ontario Sired Heritage Series in 2021.
The total purse structure for the series is $800,000, offering three $100,000 preliminary legs per race, per division, along with a pair of $100,000 finals for both divisions.
With the conclusion of the series, $70,000 in bonuses will be paid to the top three horses in each division based upon a points system that rewards the top three finishers in each stage (Details here: tip.ontarioracing.com/tip-stakes-program/).
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
.jpg "War Painter and jockey Fraser Aebly winning the Ashbridges Bay Stakes on November 17, 2024 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)")
