Patches O’Houlihan outsteps My Boy Prince in Highland Stakes
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan drifted out badly in the stretch but held on to win Saturday’s Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine in a gutsy display, after which he was vanned off.
Patches O’Houlihan ($3.60) went straight to the front under Sofia Vives and was tracked by 2-1 second choice My Boy Prince in the six-furlong main turf sprint. Reminiscent of his dramatic win in last October’s Grade 2 Nearctic over the same course, he bore out through the stretch, while maintaining his lead over My Boy Prince.
Patches O’Houlihan held on gamely to score by a neck over My Boy Prince, who had been angled out wide in deep stretch by Sahin Civaci to give his mount the opportunity to see his rival. Dresden Row finished third and was followed by Playmea Tune, Niagara Skyline, and Old Chestnut.
Over a course labeled as good, the final time was 1:08.39 seconds.
Patches O’Houlihan walked onto the horse ambulance under his own power and early reports were that he suffered a soft-tissue injury.
A son of Reload trained by Robert Tiller, Patches O’Houlihan earned $144,800 of the $234,000 purse for owner-breeder Frank DiGiulio Jr.
*** Kentucky shipper Funtastic Again outran favored Essex Serpent for the early lead and never looked back to annex Saturday’s Grade 3, $158,100 Dominion Day under Victor Espinoza.
Funtastic ($9.60) held off a charging Stanley House to prevail by three-quarters of a length, in a time of 1:49.28 seconds for the nine furlongs on Tapeta. Bail Us Out wound up third, ahead of Essex Serpent, Fly the W, Classic Mo Town, Dancin in Da’nile, and Fashionably Fab.
“He ran an amazing race,” Espinoza said. “I was just cruising with him. I was basically just attached to his back. That’s all I had to do. He’s a very kind horse. He was full of energy.”
Trained by Wesley Ward, Funtastic Again collected $90,000 for owner Three Chimneys Farm. The son of Funtastic reportedly bled when sixth in his previous outing in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile in April at Keeneland, and was adding Lasix on Saturday.
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