Jose Campos guides #1 Owen’s Tour Guide to victory in the $100,000 Zadracarta Stakes. (Woodbine/Michael Burns Photo)
Thirteen, including Yatta, chase Ontario Damsel top prize
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Owen’s Tour Guide goes after her second straight stakes score when she goes postward in the Grade 3 $135,000 Ontario Fashion Presented by Tanqueray, Saturday at Woodbine.
The six-furlong main track feature for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and upward, has drawn 10 starters, including the 6-year-old daughter of Tourist-My Christini, who heads into the Ontario Fashion off her first stakes score, a one-length triumph in the Zadracarta.
A five-furlong inner turf event for Ontario-bred fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, the Zadracarta went postward with seven hopefuls, including 7-1 Owen’s Tour Guide, who was supplemented to the race by trainer Willie Armata and owner Tequesta Racing Inc.
It proved to be a fruitful decision.
“She broke a little slowly, but I was happy with the position that [jockey, Jose] Campos had her in,” said Armata. “When the two on the lead were ding-donging it the whole day down the stretch, once I saw her get daylight, I thought, ‘This is setting up beautifully for her – she’s going to get there.’ And she did.
“Jose and I had planned that strategy in the morning, to sit off the pace. She doesn’t have five-eighths speed, so we let them run away from her and then the hope was to have her run them down. Before this race, she was going to the lead and then getting tired down the lane, but with Campos, he got her to relax and then come with that nice run.”
Bred by Joey Gee Thoroughbreds, the dark bay began her career with two straight scores, including a nose victory, at 36-1, in her career bow, a 6 ½-furlong run over the Woodbine main track on November 20, 2020.
The second trip to the winner’s circle came in her 3-year-old debut on June 26, 2021, when she recorded a 1 ½-length victory at six furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf.
Overall, Owen’s Tour Guide has compiled a 7-3-6 mark from 37 career starts, accompanied by $380,059 in purse earnings.
“She is doing very well,” Armata said of the $5,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2019 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale. “When she is in the entries, she likes to walk a little bit in the stall because she is excited. She knows, pre-race, that it is time to be all business.
“She is happy and so are we. It’s been a career year for her, and she deserves it. The plan will be to run her here and then one more time before the end of the year.”
Miguel Aguado is the groom.
Kevin Attard sends out the trio of Love to Shop, Ro Town, and Tripolina, while fellow trainer Mark Casse is represented by Star Candy, and Ticker Tape Home.
Field for the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion (Race 8)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Star Candy – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
2 – Blind Spot – Keveh Nicholls – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
3 – A Game – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll
4 – Owen’s Tour Guide – Jose Campos – Willie Armata
5 – Beauty of the Sea (S) – Sofia Vives – Joseph Orseno
6 – Love to Shop – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
7 – Swall – Rafael Hernandez – Julia Carey
8 – Tripolina – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
9 – Ticker Tape Home – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
10 – Ro Town – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
Thirteen, Including Yatta, Chase Ontario Damsel Top Prize
Thirteen 3-year-old fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles over the main track in the $125,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes.
Yatta, trained by Graham Motion for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who has made all her previous starts on turf, will make her first appearance at Woodbine.
“She seems to be very honest,” praised Motion. “My only concern would be that she might appreciate a little further.”
The well-travelled daughter of Yoshida (JPN)-Final Reward has constructed a 2-2-2 mark from eight career starts.
Her passport includes races at Delaware Park, Colonial Downs, Keeneland, Del Mar, and Laurel.
The dark bay heads into the Ontario Damsel off a fifth in the Pepsi Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 11.
Since that race, Yatta has had a series of works over the all-weather training track at Fair Hill, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.80 on Oct. 5.
“She handles the Tapeta well at home and would have done most of her works on it,” noted Motion.
Yatta, who broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs last Sept., was third in the 2023 Selima Stakes at Laurel, and also third in the 2023 running of the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar in Dec.
Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Yatta was a $72,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.
Justin Stein gets the call.
First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and bet365.
Field for the Ontario Damsel (Race 7)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Yatta – Justin Stein – Graham Motion
2 – Pendulum – Declan Cannon – Brendan Walsh
3 – Airosa – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
4 – Ontario – Sofia Vives – Josie Carroll
5 – Calle Amada – Luis Contreras – Barb Minshall
6 – Distorted d’Oro – Ryan Munger – Michael Stidham
7 – Witwatersrand – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
8 – Gild the Lily – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
9 – Crevalle d’Oro – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse
10 – Ready for Shirl – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
11 – Ecstasy (S) – Fraser Aebly – Sid Attard
12 – Destiny Star – Jose Campos – Timothy Hamm
13 – Managing Mischief – Rocco Bowen – Timothy Hamm
