Plenty of new players as meet begins; Kimura bids for third straight title
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There are no shortage of changes in the ranks as the 2023 Woodbine meet begins Saturday with a nine-race card of short Tapeta sprints.
The popular journeyman Steven Bahen has retired, and Antonio Gallardo is not returning after riding regularly here in 2021-22.
Slade Jones, the 2022 Sovereign Award-winning apprentice, is not riding this year due to issues with his weight. The local apprentice ranks remain strong, however, headed by Sofia Vives, who rides for perennial leading trainer Mark Casse. She recently became a five-pound bug after winning her fifth race at Parx Racing.
Other newcomers to the Woodbine jockey colony are Rico Walcott, a longtime leader in Alberta, and Ryan Munger, a top-10 rider in South Africa.
Leading Gulfstream Park trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has moved a string into Barn 1, and trainer Jamie Begg has been allotted stalls that are currently unused, according to racing secretary Scott Lane.
Fresh off a successful winter stint at Santa Anita, Kazushi Kimura has six mounts on Saturday, when the 23-year-old native of Japan begins his quest to become Woodbine’s leading rider for the third year in a row.
Kimura was named on Botta Swing in the featured sixth, a first-level allowance with a $32,000 claiming option. The five-furlong event lured 14 fillies and mares, including two also eligibles.
Trained by Barbara Minshall, Botta Swing is the 4 1/2-furlong synthetic track-record holder at Woodbine. The 3-year-old set the record of 50.94 seconds when landing her only start in a May 1 maiden special weight dash.
Botta Swing worked twice here on the Tapeta after wintering at the Travis Durr training center in South Carolina. She has been saddled with post 12 and is the lone entrant without Lasix.
Florida shipper Firenspice should be among the favorites in the sixth race. In her last two outings, she ran second in allowances on turf and the Tapeta at Gulfstream, earning Beyer Speed Figures in the mid 70s. Rafael Hernandez will ride the daughter of Canadian champion Uncaptured for trainer Chris Davis.
Trainer Wesley Ward, who scored with 4 of 10 starters during the first month of the 2022 Woodbine meet, sends Giverny in from Kentucky. Giverny flashed speed before tiring when returning from an extended layoff in a March 9 allowance over Turfway’s Tapeta. Jason Hoyte has the call on the nicely bred Tapit mare.
Trainer Kevin Attard entered Basalt Street and Verdejo, an also eligible.
Vives rides Basalt Street, who has been freshened since a neck loss in a Feb. 4 allowance on the dirt at Fair Grounds. Verdejo put up an 80 Beyer twice last year while winning 4 of 8 starts.
Trading Bay was knocking on the door at this level last fall and has been working right along in preparation for her season debut. Eswan Flores has the mount for trainer Darren Glennon on the steady 6-year-old.
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