Three-year-olds share the spotlight June 29 at Woodbine as they run 1 1/16 miles over the synthetic for a $150,000 purse. The boys will contest the Marine Stakes (G3) as race 9 while the fillies go three races earlier in the Selene Stakes (G3).
Lou Tucci's Babbo saw his three-race win streak snapped when seventh in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes while returning from a 6 1/2-month layoff June 9. However, the start under his belt and a stretch out in distance in the Marine should benefit the son of Kantharos , who won the Coronation Futurity last November at 1 1/8 miles.
Manfred and Penny Conrad's Essex Serpent followed his maiden victory with a solid second in the Queenston.
Cheyenne Stable's Native Land makes his first trip north of the border for trainer Riley Mott after a sixth in the May 11 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack that followed consecutive victories against non-stakes competition.
Woodbine, Saturday, June 29, 2024, Race 9Entries: HPIbet Marine S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Cameo Performance (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 118 Brendan P. Walsh 2/1 2 2Piper's Factor (ON) Kazushi Kimura 120 Katerina Vassilieva 5/2 3 3Maximus Magic (KY) Justin Stein 120 Norman McKnight 12/1 4 4Babbo (ON) Eswan Flores 122 Sid C. Attard 10/1 5 5Essex Serpent (ON) Patrick Husbands 118 Mark E. Casse 6/1 6 6Midnight Mascot (ON) Sahin Civaci 118 Mark E. Casse 8/1 7 7Native Land (KY) Adam Beschizza 120 Riley Mott 4/1
Witwatersrand headlines Selene Stakes
Going south for the winter did not work out for Gary Barber's Sovereign Award-winning filly Witwatersrand as she failed to threaten in two graded attempts.
Returning home to Woodbine is just what the 3-year-old daughter of Connect needed. In the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes May 18, she closed under mild urging from Patrick Husbands and cruised to a four-length win.
The filly has shown an affinity for Woodbine with a 3-for-4 record that includes victory in the Mazarine Stakes (G3) last November. Husbands returns to ride the filly in the Selene, as he has done in all her Canadian starts.
Woodbine, Saturday, June 29, 2024, Race 6Entries: Selene S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sabatini (FL) Sofia Vives 118 Josie Carroll 2/1 2 2Shamans Girl (ON) Ryan Munger 118 Harold Ladouceur 20/1 3 3Crevalle d'Oro (KY) Kazushi Kimura 118 Mark E. Casse 8/1 4 4Red Samurai (ON) Eswan Flores 118 Sid C. Attard 15/1 5 5Golden Ghost (GB) Sahin Civaci 120 Mark E. Casse 10/1 6 6Waves of Mischief (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 118 Brendan P. Walsh 5/1 7 7Witwatersrand (KY) Patrick Husbands 122 Mark E. Casse 6/5
