Thundering chilling in his stall while contemplating the weekend stakes. (Woodbine/Michael Burns)
In Display And Glorious Song
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, October 10, 2024 – Rookies step into the spotlight in a pair of $125,000 stakes, the Display and Glorious Song, Sunday at Woodbine.
Trained by Patrick Dixon for owner and breeder Dastur Racing, Thundering rolls into Display, a seven-furlong main track event for 2-year-olds, off a third in his debut on Sept. 15 at Woodbine.
Sent off at 6-1 in the seven-panel maiden special weight race, the Maryland-bred settled outside along the backstretch before going four to five wide on the turn and advancing to be six-deep at the top of the stretch. Despite drifting in down the lane, Thundering earned the show award, finishing 3 ¼ lengths behind the winner.
“It was very good,” said Dixon. “He had a bad break. He got bumped coming out of the gate and he was a little bit green. It looked like he was trying to find his feet early on and wondering why everyone else was going so fast.
“When he finally found his feet, he had to go wide of everybody, and then he was looking at everyone in the grandstand coming down the lane. It was a lot for him to take in his first race. We were very, very happy with the result.”
Two recent works, a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.80 on Sept. 28, and a four-furlong breeze in :47.80 on Oct. 5, both on the main track, caught the trainer’s attention.
“He has been training exceptionally well,” said Dixon. “He has gone from strength to strength. He is eating well and put on a little bit of weight from that first race.
“It’s like he wants to go over and do it again, almost as if he is saying, ‘Hey, wait. I learned something the first time, so let’s try this again.’ I think he wants to go over and give it another whirl. He is the type of horse who would rather train than be around the barn. When we come in the morning, he wants to get going. He wants the attention, and he wants to go out first and get it going.”
Sired by Mosler out of the Street Cry mare Keep Right, the gelding arrived at Dixon’s barn through his uncle.
“My uncle is a pinhooker in Florida. He is very good friends with the owners, who have been around for a long time. He knew that I am a private trainer (for John Brnjas’ Colebrook Farms) but asked if I would be interested in training this horse because he really liked this horse.
“I asked John for permission, and he was very kind about it and gave his blessing. He knew the owners too and got along with them very well. And they are just the nicest people. They have been a pleasure to work with.”
Paul Wilson is the groom for Thundering.
Field for the Display (Race 7)
Mansetti, trained by Kevin Attard for Al and Bill Ulwelling, will look to build off an impressive debut performance on Sept. 26 at Woodbine.
The son of Collected-Gidget Girl dueled early in the six-furlong main track maiden special weight race before taking control and going on to record a 1 ¼-length score in 1:11.49.
Attard, closing in on 800 career wins, applauded the effort from the bay colt who was bred in Ontario by Jungle Racing, LLC.
“We were very impressed by that first race, not only that he won it, but in the manner he did it,” said Attard, who won the 2021 Display with Hicksy and last year’s running with Tripolina. “I thought it was an extremely professional effort from start to finish.
“He came out of it great and has been doing well in the lead up to Sunday.”
Mansetti, a $40,000 purchase (Hip No. 48) at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-olds In Training, breezed four furlongs in :48.80 over the Woodbine main track on Oct. 6.
“It’s a step up the ladder, but he deserves to be here, and the hope is he can build off that debut and come up with another big one.”
The Ulwellings, nearing 475 career wins, named the horse after a popular pizza and pasta restaurant in their home state of Minnesota.
Lawrence Williams is the groom.
Also on Sunday, six 2-year-old fillies will contest the Glorious Song Stakes, also at seven furlongs on the main track. The field consists of Mark Casse trainees Charlotte’s Heart, Souper Supreme, and Winterberry, along with a pair of supplements, Neenah, and Miss Saugerties, and Willie Armata charge Nata Trouble.
First post is at 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action through HPIbet.com and bet365.
Field for the Glorious Song (Race 8)
