The stakes season is winding down all over North America, but there’s still some unfinished business to be dealt with at Woodbine Racetrack.
The Rexdale, Ont. oval will host this year’s Fall Four events, and it all begins this weekend with eliminations for the Three Diamonds (two-year-old pacing fillies) and the Valley Victory (two-year-old trotting colts and geldings).
Eliminations aren’t required for the Goldsmith Maid and the Governor’s Cup.
Huntsville headlines the field for this year’s Governor’s Cup. The multi-talented son of Somebeachsomewhere-Wild West Show will shoot for his seventh straight win for trainer Ray Schnittker. Fresh off his win in the Breeders Crown, the seven-time winner will try to add to a bankroll that recently surpassed $600,000.
Winter Sweet Frost is the richest filly in the field for this year’s Goldsmith Maid thanks in large part to her decisive score in this year’s OSS Super Final. The Paul Reid-trained daughter of Kadabra-American Frost has assembled a 3-3-2 record from 10 trips to the track. Along the way she’s managed to stash away close to $320,000 in earnings.
Here are the fields – in alphabetical order - for those rich events:
$520,000 Governor’s Cup
Air Strike
Bettors Dream
Blood Line
Downbytheseaside
Filibuster Hanover
Huntsville
Miso Fast
Some Attitude
Tuxedo Bay
Western Hill
Who Said Not To
$447,000 Goldsmith Maid
Blinded By Lindy
Cameron Hill
Cool Cates
Gravitator
Magic Presto
Myammie Drama
Princess Aurora
Southwind Tesla
Temple Ruins
Winter Sweet Frost
Thirteen pacing fillies from this year’s freshman class will spar in a set of $25,000 Three Diamonds eliminations on Friday, Nov. 11.
The first elimination features a big league match-up as this year’s Shes A Great Lady champ, Idyllic Beach, will duke it out with Breeders Crown and Kindergarten Series champ, Someomensomewhere.
The Jimmy Takter-trained Idyllic Beach will start from Post 2 for driver Yannick Gingras. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Idyllic is 7-for-12 this season with earnings in excess of $620,000.
She’ll do her best to derail the suddenly streaking Someomensomewhere, who is scheduled to depart from Post 5 for Team Miller. Marcus Miller will look to make it three straight wins with the Erv Miller pupil who is 4-for-12 this season. She’s quickly closing in on $500,000 in lifetime earnings.
Candlelight Dinner is the richest performer in the second elimination of the Three Diamonds, but after starting her career with four straight wins she’s settled for smaller shares in a trio of follow-up performances. The Casie Coleman-trained daughter of American Ideal-Time N Again skipped the Breeders Crown, but qualified in good order at Mohawk Racetrack on Nov. 4. Jonathan Drury will drive the speedy lass from Post 1.
Fifteen freshman trotting colts and geldings entered this year’s Valley Victory, and they’ve been separated into a set of $25,000 eliminations.
The first elimination features a battle between this year’s William Wellwood Memorial winner, Seven And Seven, and recent Matron champ, Snowstorm Hanover.
Seven And Seven is slated to start from Post 5 for trainer/driver Tom Durand. The homebred son of Chapter Seven-Ally Oop is a four-time winner from seven starts this season, and he’s banked more than $226,000 along the way. He last raced in the Wellwood on Sept. 17, but he’s since prepped in a qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 28.
Snowstorm Hanover also totes four wins into Friday’s contest for trainer Ron Burke. The son of Muscle Massive-Angel Hanover will start from Post 7 with driver Matt Kakaley in tow.
Moonshiner Hanover, who has mastered the art of finishing second, will start from Post 7 in the second elimination for trainer Chris Beaver and driver Scott Zeron. The son of Andover Hall-Madam Hootch has been the runner-up in each of his last five outings, including a strong second-place finish behind Walner in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final. Despite having just a single win in 10 starts, the talented trotter has stashed away $258,631 to date.
He’ll take on a solid group of foes which includes local hopeful Dancer Hall, who takes a three-race winning streak into his biggest test to date for Team MacDonald. The Amy MacDonald-trained son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Daylon Mystique will start from Post 6 with Anthony MacDonald at the controls.
The top five finishers from each of Friday’s eliminations will advance to their respective finals. Those rich events will take place Saturday, Nov. 19 at Woodbine Racetrack.
To view entries for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday entries – Woodbine Racetrack.