Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮

Woodbine Back On Track

With provincial restrictions being eased, I was able to visit Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Sunday for the first time in 2021 – already matching the total number of visits to the big thoroughbred oval from 2020.

Justin Stein made lightning strike in race one on ‘Celebratory’.

And jockey Isabelle Wenc, a proud Canadian, wears the maple leaf on her mask and rode ‘Checkerboard Floor’ to third in the first outing of the day.

Jockey Ismael Mosqueira, below, wore his stripes aboard ‘Lion Kingdom’ for the win in race two.

In the winner’s circle for the third, ‘Forest Survivor’ survives a flood of water to help cool down following Kazushi Kimura’s ride to the front.

Forest Survivor

Jockey Leo Salles, below.

Rafael Hernandez is never far from the front and makes the field watch from behind in race four as he blurs by for the win on the Colebrook Farms and Catherine Day Phillips-trained ‘Take a Chance’.

Kazushi Kimura returns with ‘Desert Eagle’ trainer Josie Carroll following the race.

And Luis Contreras – always thankful for a win – looks skyward after race five and a win on board ‘Romantic Gamble’, with his family joining in for the winner’s circle photo.