Civaci picks up winning Clarendon mount from departed Kimura

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A pickup mount by the red-hot Sahin Civaci proved to be fruitful in Friday’s $150,000 Clarendon Stakes when he rode Armstrong to an upset score over heavily favored Poulin in O T.

Armstrong fought for the early lead inside Poulin in O T and Rolling Hills before the latter dropped back on the turn in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds.

Poulin in O T made the lead near the eighth pole under a confident Patrick Husbands, but Armstrong battled back along the inside in the final sixteenth to prevail by a neck, in a time of 1:11.61.

Paramount Prince finished third after a wide trip and was followed by Stubborn Streak and Rolling Hills.

Kazushi Kimura was named on Armstrong when the Clarendon was on the canceled portion of last Saturday’s card, but he left Woodbine earlier this week to go to Santa Anita, where he will ride for the winter. Civaci is trainer Mark Casse’s new go-to rider and they teamed up to win the Grade 2 Kennedy Road with Candy Overload here Nov. 27.

“He’s a nice, classy little horse,” Civaci said. “The plan was to sit back and let the speed go, but my horse popped out really well and there was no pressure, so I kept him up there. He kicked down the lane.”

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

By Mucho Macho Man, Armstrong ($7.20) banked $90,000 for the partnership of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Gary Barber.

Shady Well Stakes

Fashionably Fab won her third race in a row and her first stakes in the $150,000 Shady Well for 2-year-old fillies. Like the Clarendon, it was a six-furlong event restricted to Ontario-bred and Ontario-sired runners.

Fashionably Fab came from second to take control in the stretch and then held off favored Me and My Shadow for a three-quarter-length score, in a time of 1:11.72.

Witch Hazel, Speed Trap, Anam Cara, and Rifling completed the order of finish.

Rafael Hernandez rode Fashionably Fab for trainer Kevin Attard, who put the daughter of Silent Name on Lasix for the Shady Well.

“We scoped her after the last race and she suffered from a little bit of a bleeding incident,” Attard said. “It wasn’t horrible, but enough to warrant putting her on Lasix. We worked her in the interim with it, and she scoped nice and clean afterwards. The addition of Lasix today probably helped.”

Fashionably Fab ($7.20) earned $90,000 for Terra Racing Stable. She received an 88 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in Canada by a 2-year-old this year, when graduating second time out in October before doubling up in a Nov. 3 Ontario-sired allowance.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.