TORONTO, October 7, 2026 – War Painter, the first stakes winner for owner Canuck Racing Club, will aim for another stroke of brilliance, this time in the $150,000 Silver Creek Stakes, Saturday at Woodbine.
The veteran mare, who was a one-length winner in the 2023 Victorian Queen Stakes, struck again in the 2024 edition of the Ashbridges Bay Stakes, with both victories coming at Woodbine.
War Painter lines up against seven foes in the Silver Creek, a 1 1/16-mile main-track feature for Ontario-bred fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up. \u200b
“It would be nice to get her and her owners that third stakes win,” said trainer Kevin Attard. “I’ve always liked her, and she has always been that consistent type, one who never throws you any curveballs.”
War Painter’s honest disposition has been a hallmark throughout her 24-start career, one underscored by a 5-6-5 line and over $393,000 in purse earnings.
That even-keeled quality, which has remained regardless of the result, was particularly noticeable across a pair of hearty efforts in her previous two starts: the Ontario Matron (G3) and the Grade 2 Canadian (G2T).
War Painter finished third in the Ontario Matron on Sept. 12 and sixth in the Canadian on Aug. 15.
“She’s hooked some tough ones in her last two starts,” said Attard, of the bay bred by Charles Fipke. “I thought her last race was a good effort. What we do know is that she loves this distance and loves to run on the synthetic.”
The 5-year-old daughter of Danish Dynaformer out of the Tale of Ekati mare Morning Tale returned to the main track for the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Matron after covering the same distance on the inner turf for the Canadian.
Back in familiar territory for the Silver Creek, War Painter is in position to put her best foot forward with Fraser Aebly in the irons.
“I think she is at her best when she can sit just off the pace and then use that nice turn of foot to come running late,” said Attard. “She definitely has that ability, and hopefully we get to see that on Saturday.”
War Painter, the first stakes winner by Danish Dynaformer, is named in honour of Canada’s first battlefield artist, Mary Hamilton, a Canadian painter who gave up her career to travel alone to the battlefields of World War One and document the tragedies of war through her art for two and a half years.
Jamar Bishop is the groom.
The Silver Creek is the third of four new $150,000 stakes races restricted to Registered Ontario Bred Fillies & Mares, 4-year-olds and older, to be contested at Woodbine this season. Introduced in August by the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP), the female division of the series kicked off with the Zadracarta Stakes on August 29.
Recent works: War Painter completed a straightforward main-track breeze in preparation for the Silver Creek, covering four furlongs in :48.60 on Oct. 3.
“She had a nice, uncomplicated work on Saturday, just what we were looking for,” said Attard. “She’s fit and she’s doing well. Hopefully, it all adds up to a big effort this weekend.”
Wagering menu for the Silver Creek: Includes Rolling Double / Exacta / 0.20 Trifecta / 0.20 Superfecta / $1 Swinger.
Field for the Silver Creek Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Crystal Visions – Keveh Nicholls – Stuart Simon
2 – Speedy Freeze – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ron Sadler
3 – Fortyfiveseventy – Daisuke Fukumoto – Barb Minshall
4 – Hurricane Clair – Pietro Moran – Mike Wright, Jr.
5 – Ella It Is – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
6 – War Painter – Fraser Aebly – Kevin Attard
7 – Olivia Rose – Romero Ramsay Maragh – Mark Casse
8 – Dazzling Move – Jose Campos – Carlos David
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Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine