Gone With Duwyn. (Michael Burns Photo)
Woodbine Release
TORONTO, Ont. – Rookies step onto the Grade 3 stakes stage for the $150,000 bet365 Grey and the $150,000 Mazarine Presented by Ketel One, Sunday at Woodbine.
Hoolie Racing Stable homebred Gone With Duwyn returns to the stakes ranks and the Woodbine main track in the Grey, a 1 1/16-mile event for 2-year-olds.
Last time out, on October 5, he finished seventh in the Cup & Saucer, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf event.
“He shook away from the horse who was chasing him, but that took a lot of out of him,” said multiple graded stakes winning conditioner Barb Minshall. “He couldn’t sustain that kind of run after that opening quarter (:22.47). I don’t think many horses could do that, at least not 2-year-olds. Hopefully, he will settle a little better. He has been training well, too.
“I wasn’t planning to run here – we were looking at an allowance race – but he’s doing well coming into it,” continued Minshall, who teamed with Hoolie Racing to win the 2023 Grey with Two Ghosts.
Gone With Duwyn finished seventh in his debut, a six-furlong sprint over good ground on the E.P. Taylor turf on July 27. Next time out, on August 17, the gelding just missed, finishing second, a neck behind the winner, in a 6 ½-furlong main track race.
On September 7, the bay, who was bred in Ontario, broke his maiden after a dominant 6 ¾-length score at seven panels over the Toronto oval main track.
“It was a great effort,” said Minshall, Canada’s champion trainer of 1996. “Hopefully, this time, he will settle a little bit better. He’s training well. There is nothing about the horse, to me, that says he is not going to get the two-turn distance. But obviously he can’t do it at breakneck speed.”
Keveh Nicholls gets the call aboard the son of Silent Name (JPN) out of the Will Take Charge mare Take Charge Les, who is 1-1-0 from four starts.
Trainer Miguel Clement, who has enjoyed multiple stakes success at Woodbine this year – he won the Dance Smartly (G2T) with Breath Away (GB), went one-two with Les Reys (FR) and Gal in a Rush in the Ontario Fashion (G3) and took the Alywow with Love Cervere – will send out the duo of Madagascar and The Big Con (GB) in the Grey.
A bay son of Twirling Candy out of the Speightstown mare Brooke and Emory, Madagascar made a winning debut on October 7 at Presque Isle Downs.
Sent on his way at 3-1 in the one-mile maiden special weight affair over the synthetic, the bay wore down a game rival to claim a three-quarter length score in 1:40.81.
Owned by Dahman, the colt, bred in Kentucky by TMSI, Blackridge stables LLC, Westwind Farm and Camhaven Farms, et al, posted a series of works ahead of his first stakes engagement.
Madagascar, a $250,000 purchase at the 2025 OBS June Two-Year-Olds & HRA Sale, breezed four furlongs from the gate in :49.65 on September 27 and covered five furlongs in 1:02.81 on October 21, both over the Saratoga training track.
Clement will also be represented by The Big Con (GB).
The son of Dark Angel (IRE) out of the Mastercraftsman mare Nakuti (IRE) also debuted at one mile (September 17) on the Presque Isle synthetic.
After sitting last of five early, The Big Con romped to an 8 ½-length win – he was geared down late – in 1:39.45 at odds of 9-2.
Owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Tony Weintraub, and Brandon Dalinka, the roan colt, bred in England by St Albans Bloodstock LLP, has posted a quartet of works over the Saratoga turf training track after his career bow.
His most recent move was a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.10 on October 24.
A 115,000gns Tattersalls October graduate in 2024, The Big Con was consigned by Newsells Park Stud.
