Phillip My Wine brings sharp form to softer spot
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Phillip My Wine has reached full bloom since joining trainer Mark Casse’s Woodbine barn, and he will be favored while making a subtle drop in class in Thursday’s headliner.
Phillip My Wine defeated Ontario-sired maidens off an 11-month layoff when going 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass in his May 30 seasonal bow. Two weeks later, the 4-year-old led until late stretch when second in an Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-two main turf sprint.
After ending up fifth in a key allowance route on July 13, Phillip My Wine was sold to owner Gary Barber and partners while turned over to Casse. In his second start for his new connections Sept. 14, he romped in an inner-turf route for nonwinners-of-two allowance types and $50,000 3-year-olds, earning a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.
Phillip My Dear meets nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers on Thursday while cutting back to 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner course. Leading rider Pietro Moran will ride the large gelding again, and the hot apprentice has had no shortage of success for Casse.
The secondary contenders in the featured fifth race are Pierre, Wagner, El Cohete, and Rapid Grey.
Pierre is perhaps best known for finishing fourth behind stablemate Caitlinhergrtness in the 2024 King’s Plate. He was a little slow to come around this year and won his third start off the sidelines in a nonwinners-of-two Tapeta route on June 21.
Pierre got a career-high 85 Beyer when second at this level going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf Aug. 7, from which victorious Itsastormymonday exited to run second in a tougher spot. Most recently, Pierre failed to stay 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta when a sagging sixth after a three-wide stalking trip. Sahin Civaci replaces Moran on the Kevin Attard-trained gelding who shares the same ownership as this year’s King’s Plate victor Mansetti in Al and Bill Ulwelling.
Wagner could be effective racing on or near the lead in his first two-turn start. Two races back, he bested nonwinners of two over six furlongs on the main turf and is coming off a slow-starting fifth in an inner-turf dash that contained two next-out winners. His sire is the Grade 1-winning turf miler Heart to Heart.
El Cohete hasn’t finished worse than fourth in six starts this year, all at this level. He checked in third behind Itsastormymonday and Pierre in his lone inner turf excursion Aug. 7.
Casse’s other entrant, Rapid Grey, has been a disappointment this year while going shareless in four races. He graduated over this course and distance when near his peak in August 2024.
Completing the field in the fifth race are Kekoa, Political Warfare, and Back River. Post time for the seven-race card is 5:30 p.m.
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