Old Chestnut takes advantage of scratch to capture Jacques Cartier

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Old Chestnut made the most of the scratch of reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan in Saturday’s Grade 3 Jacques Cartier, leading all the way in the three-horse sprint at Woodbine.

The supplemented Old Chestnut set quick fractions in the six-furlong event while being tracked by favored Simcoe, while another supplement, Okiro trailed.

Eswan Flores let Old Chestnut open up a comfortable lead early in the stretch and they went on to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths, in a rapid time of 1:08.17 seconds. Simcoe finished 3 3/4 lengths clear of Okiro.

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“He broke so sharp,” Flores said. “I was pretty much in a hold. When it was time to go, he gave me what he had.”

Trainer Marty Drexler, who claimed Old Chestnut on behalf of owner Bruno Schickedanz for $32,000 in October of 2022, was surprised by the scratch of Patches O’Houlihan.

“It was something you didn’t expect,” Drexler said. “Horse racing always throws something at you. I’m glad to take it. They were trying to put this race together, and the race office gave me a shout. It worked out.

“This horse is alright. He beat [Simcoe] last year. The first trip here [this year], we had shipped him up from Florida and he just wasn’t quite right. He got a little bit wound up behind the gate. I actually thought we were live in here. I think this track is playing pretty quick.”

An 8-year-old son of Speightstown, Old Chestnut paid $9.50 as the highest price in the race, while earning $103,500 of the $156,000 purse.

Patches O’Houlihan, who was 1-9 on the morning line, was withdrawn due to an elevated temperature, according to owner Frank DiGiulio Jr.

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