Patches O’Houlihan (#6) captures the Vigil (G3) Sep. 16 at Woodbine (Michael Burns)
Woodbine Communications
TORONTO— Patches O’Houlihan will put his perfect three-year-old record on the line in Sunday’s $100,000 Overskate Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.
A deep group of eight Ontario sired three-year-olds and up will race 7 ½ furlongs over Woodbine’s bet365 Inner Turf for the Overskate.
The Robert Tiller trained Patches O’Houlihan is a perfect six for six this season and holds a career record of seven wins from eight starts. The son of Reload is coming in off victories in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes (September 16) and the Grade 3 Bold Venture (August 20).
Patches O’Houlihan will be making his second turf appearance of the season after winning the Lake Huron Stakes on July 8. The Tiller trainee’s only loss was a troubled journey sixth in last year’s Bull Page Stakes over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
The 7 ½ furlong distance will be the longest of Patches O’Houlihan’s career. The Tiller trainee has been forced to show his determination in his last two starts to fend off rivals for the victory.
Daisuke Fukumoto will ride Patches O’Houlihan for owner/breeder Frank Di Giulio, Jr.
The rivals looking to knock off ‘Patches’ include last year’s Sovereign Award winning two-year-old mare Philip My Dear and 2021 Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner Town Cruise.
The Kevin Attard trainee Philip My Dear last raced in the mile and a half Breeders’ Stakes on October 1, finishing up well for fourth. The son of Silent Name was making his first turf appearance of the season after winning three of four last season on the grass.
The eight-year-old Town Cruise will look to capitalize on facing Ontario sired foes and find his first stakes win since the 2021 Ricoh Woodbine Mile. The Brandon Greer trainee picked up his first win since that September 2021 afternoon in an Allowance Optional Claiming event on July 30 over the Inner Turf. He then ran sixth in the Grade 3 Singspiel on September 9 before finishing fourth in his most recent race on September 30.
The $100,000 Overskate Stakes is carded as Race 6 (4:01 p.m.) on Sunday.
The $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes for Ontario sired fillies and mares, three-year-olds and up, will also be held Saturday. A field of 11 will square off in the 7 ½ furlong bet365 Inner Turf contest.
Kevin Attard is the lone trainer with multiple entrants in the Eternal Search, sending out Fashionably Fab and Strega.
The four-year-old Strega has made just two starts this season, winning her most recent in a mile and an eighth Allowance Optional Claimer back on August 20. The four-time winner has finished in the top-three in 11 of 15 career starts and won last year’s Ashbridges Bay Stakes, while also running second in the 2022 Bison City Stakes.
Kazushi Kimura will ride for owner Lanni Bloodstock.
The Eternal Search Stakes will go as Race 8 (5:08 p.m.) on Sunday.
First post is at 1:15 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com, bet365, and the Dark Horse Bets app.
Field for the Overskate Stakes
Post-Horse-Jockey-Trainer
1 – Patches O’Houlihan – Daisuke Fukumoto – Robert Tiller
2 – Dun Drum – Ryan Munger – Ian Black
3 – Lac Macaza – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Julia Carey
4 – Mason’s Gamble – Sahin Civaci – Josie Carroll
5 – Town Cruise – Keveh Nicholls – Brandon Greer
6 – Perfect Crime – Kazushi Kimura – Patrick Dixon
7 – Banff – Rafael Hernandez – Martin Drexler
8 – Philip My Dear – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
Field for the Eternal Search Stakes
Post-Horse-Jockey-Trainer
1 – Breathing Fire – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Sid Attard
2 – Gamble’s Silver – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
3 – Fashionably Fab – Patrick Husbands – Kevin Attard
4 – Pleasure’s Gold – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard
5 – Hello Friends – Juan Crawford – John LeBlanc, Jr
6 – Miss Speedy – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
7 – Trading Bay – Eswan Flores – Darren Glennon
8 – My Girl Sky – Christopher Husbands – Katerina Vassilieva
9 – Taquanyah – Leo Salles – Saul McHugh
10 – Talk to Ya Later – Ryan Munger – Ian Black
11 – Strega – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
