Woodbine: Jose Sea View makes case for Sovereign Award

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jose Sea View staked his claim for Canadian champion 2-year-old honors Sunday at Woodbine with a hard-fought win over Coltimus Prime in the $134,250 Display Stakes. Those two protagonists hooked up on the lead on the backstretch and then dueled throughout the lane before Jose Sea View prevailed by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile event.

Jose Sea View put together a solid campaign of three wins in fourth starts, including a victory in a sprint stakes at Presque Isle Downs. His only loss was a respectable fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Nashua going a mile on dirt at Aqueduct. Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard for all four of his starts.

“He really learned a lot in his two [previous] races, going to Presque Isle and New York,” Wilson said.

Trainer Reade Baker said Jose Sea View will be sent to Palm Beach Downs, and his next appearance has yet to be determined. The Kentucky-bred is owned by his breeder, Brereton Jones, who recently sent the gelding’s sire, Badge of Silver, to stand at stud at Colebrook Farm near Uxbridge, Ontario, northeast of Toronto.

Badge of Silver should be a boost to the beleaguered Ontario breeding industry, which has been hit hard since the Ontario government ended the slots-at-racetracks program earlier this year.

Spadina Road passes distance test

Spadina Road answered the question of if he could go long emphatically last Saturday, when he caught the favored Asserting Bear in late stretch to take the $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes under lots of coaxing from jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva.

“He sure proved that he can go two turns,” said Bob Tiller, who trains Spadina Road for Rolph Davis. “We were looking for him to relax, and he relaxed so much that he came off the bridle. He shook him up a little, got him into gear, and away he went.”

Tiller said Spadina Road will winter in Ontario before shipping back to Woodbine in mid-February.

“We’ll get him going at the farm sometime in January and go from there,” Tiller said.

Tiller bagged a triple last Saturday, which should help him to secure second in the trainer standings behind runaway leader Mark Casse when the meet wraps up Sunday.

“It’s been a great year, certainly one of our top three or four,” Tiller said. “We started winning in the spring. We were still winning in the summer. We had a few dry days and then bounced right back in the fall. I’m very satisfied. I don’t think we have any major horses. We have horses who grind it out. We’ve got some babies who can run.”

133-day meet for 2014

Woodbine has announced a 133-day meet for next year, the same number of days as the current meet. Pending Ontario Racing Commission approval, racing will be conducted from April 12 to Dec. 7. Racing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern from Friday through Sunday, along with holiday Mondays and Tuesday, July 1. Wednesday night racing, with a 6:45 first post, begins May 28 and will take place throughout the meet, except for after a long weekend. The backstretch will open Feb. 18, and the training track is slated to open the next day.

◗ Trainer Michael McDonald has been fined $1,000 and given a 15-day suspension for Orbit Express testing positive when second Nov. 6 for the Class 4 drug isoxsuprine, which is used to enhance blood flow. McDonald will serve the suspension April 12-26.

◗ John Calhoun recently sent out Barbasgo for a victory at age 92, which makes him among the oldest trainers ever to win a race at Woodbine. Calhoun, who has been in poor health, has racked up 235 wins since 1976.

◗ Philzana heads Wednesday’s featured third race, a six-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired non-winners of three. Philzana finished third in the open Ruling Angel Stakes on Oct. 26 and was a wide fourth over an inside-biased track in the restricted Jammed Lovely Stakes on Nov. 16.

None of her five rivals has any stakes experience, which should make Philzana odds-on under Patrick Husbands, who will get a leg up from one of Woodbine’s hottest trainers, Mike De Paulo.

◗ Michelle DiEmanuele has been appointed to Woodbine Entertainment Group’s board of directors. DiEmanuele is the president and chief executive of Trillium Health Partners.