Woodbine Racetrack Hosts Exciting King Edward Stakes and Bold Venture Stakes

The Woodbine racetrack was the stage for two thrilling stakes races on Friday, as the horse racing community gathered to witness the action.

King Edward Stakes (G2)

In the featured $200,000 King Edward Stakes (G2), the 8-year-old gelding Filo Di Arianna remained undefeated over the Woodbine turf, prevailing by a nose in a gutsy performance. Trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch, Filo Di Arianna ($3.30) overcame an awkward start from his outside post under jockey Sahin Civaci to take charge early and hold off a late challenge from the defending champion War Bomber.

“It’s just how he comes back,” Casse said when asked about the gelding’s next target, hinting that the upcoming Woodbine Mile (G1) on September 14th could be in the plans. “I kind of feel if they were going to beat him, it was going to be today. I thought maybe he was about 85, 90 percent. He’s 8 years old. As we get older, it’s not as simple. We’ll see. That’s our target.”

Filo Di Arianna’s victory marked his 5th win from 5 starts over the Woodbine turf, including previous triumphs in the 2022 King Edward and Connaught Cup (G2), as well as the recent Highlander (G2). Overall, the Brazilian-bred gelding has now won 9 of his 17 career races.

Bold Venture Stakes (G3)

In the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes (G3), it was another repeat performance as Patches O’Houlihan, a 4-year-old son of Reload, led from start to finish for the second consecutive year. Ridden by Sofia Vives for trainer Bob Tiller and owner Frank D. Di Giulio Jr., Patches O’Houlihan ($4.60) held off late challenges from Playmea Tune and I’m A Gambler to secure a neck victory.

“Sometimes I think he’s like a person,” Vives said of the gutsy gelding. “He’s very wise. He knows where the wire is, and he knows how to win. He has a lot of heart. Patches definitely showed today that he’s a champion, and he deserved this race two years in a row.”

Bred and owned by Frank Di Giulio Jr., Patches O’Houlihan now boasts an impressive record of 11 wins from 17 starts, all coming at the Woodbine racetrack.

The King Edward and Bold Venture stakes were originally scheduled for the previous weekend but were postponed due to heavy rain that forced the cancellation of most of the King’s Plate card.

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