It didn’t take long for Hollywood to come calling after Paramount Prince brought the house down with his victory on Nov. 12 at Woodbine.
In one of the more impressive performances at the Etobicoke track this fall, the two-year-old Paramount Prince scored a nine-length win in a maiden optional claiming race when the Jamie Attard-trained chestnut gelding simply ran away from the field with apprentice jockey Slade Jones in the saddle.
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It was the son of Society’s Chairman’s first start and he definitely turned heads, even as far away as La La Land.
Attard told the Toronto Sun this week that his “phone started ringing” a couple of days after the race and Hollywood movie mogul Gary Barber ended up purchasing 50% of Paramount Prince off owner Michael J. Langlois.
Attard said he will run Paramount Prince in a stakes race in the beginning of December, and the Ontario-bred horse will be transferred to Mark Casse’s barn in Florida afterwards. Casse is the leading trainer at Woodbine.
SWEET VICTORY FOR CANDY OVERLOAD
It was a huge weekend for Casse at Woodbine.
After winning the Mazarine Stakes with Renegade Rebel on Saturday, his four-year-old bay gelding Candy Overload won the Grade 2 $203,300 Kennedy Road Stakes on Sunday for three-year-olds and up by 3/4 of a length with a nice charge up the middle in the stretch, guided by jockey Sahin Civaci.
The victory was Candy Overload’s second in six starts this season. The son of Reload is owned by Barber, Leonard Schiefer and Wachtel Stable. The Brazilian-bred Ice Chocolat (19-1), with Emma-Jayne Wilson, was second — another Casse-conditioned horse.
The victory in the Kennedy Road Stakes — which was postponed for one week because of frigid conditions — was Candy Overload’s fourth from 15 career starts. He was a 7-1 long shot. Arzak, the even-money favourite, was ninth.
“Today the races were playing the speed, but I knew we had to come off (the pace),” said Civaci. “That was a little big challenging. I had a good trip overall. I had the outside and when the horse kicked on down the lane, it was clear and he ran good.”
Candy Overload debuted on July 12, 2020, at Woodbine, and finished sixth. One race later, he broke his maiden courtesy of a 37-1 upset at 6 1/2 furlongs over the Woodbine Tapeta. His win on Sunday paid $17.40, $8.20 and $5.60, combining with Ice Chocolat for a $220.90 exactor. Lucky Score completed a $1,052.70 triactor, while a $1 Superfecta with Silent Poet returned $10,446.60.
In the 10th race at Woodbine, Civaci guided the Casse-conditioned Lord of War to a four-length victory for the jockey’s fourth victory of the day. It was a rather unusual win for Lord of War, who took the lead early, only to give it up the backstretch to Souper Legacy, before retaking it in the stretch.
Civaci has 54 wins at Woodbine this year with two weeks left in the season after recording 31 all of last season at the Etobicoke oval. Civaci was born in Vancouver and at the age of 10 moved to Ankara, Turkey, with his family. He was a top rider at his hometown track, Hastings Park in B.C., before deciding to give Woodbine a shot in 2019.
“It’s been going really good. I really appreciate all the support,” said Civaci, who hopes to race at Oaklawn in the winter.
Casse was also classy in the Grade 3 $150,900 Mazarine Stakes on Saturday, as his two entries Renegade Rebel and Ryder, Ryder, Ryder finished 1-2. Renegade Rebel, with Rafael Hernandez in the saddle, ended up beating Ryder, Ryder, Ryder by a neck at the wire in the 1 1/16-mile main track event which attracted a field of five two-year-old fillies. The time was 1:44.80. Renegade Rebel is owned by D. J. Stable LLC.
In the other stakes on Saturday at Woodbine, Bluebirds Over, under Edgard Zayas, made it two wins in as many starts after another strong showing, this time in the Grade 3 $159,300 Grey Stakes, recording a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:45.32. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the Kentucky-bred is bred and owned by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson. One Bay Hemingway (14-1) finished second.
AROUND THE TRACK
Thebackstretchdude won the opening race at Woodbine on Sunday for trainer Jennifer Stein, the wife of jockey Justin Stein. It was the first start for the two-year-old son of Old Forester who is co-owned by Jennifer Stein and Isaac Waxman. Thebackstretchdude was ridden by — take a guess — Justin Stein … Great move up the rail in the stretch by apprentice jockey Amanda Vandermeersch to guide Flowers ‘n Berries to victory in the third race Sunday for trainer Ryan Jones … The U.K.-bred Breeze Easy, ridden by Kazushi Kimura, held on to beat a charging Trading Bay with Slade Jones in the saddle by a nose in Sunday’s seventh. The final result was confirmed by an agonizingly close photo finish … Just Start Me Up, off at 39-1, won the ninth race on Sunday with a gate to wire trip for trainer John LeBlanc Jr. and owner Stunt Stable with Jose Campos in the saddle — the four-year-old dark bay’s second win in 20 career starts. LeBlanc lost his home in Rosemount, Ont., to a fire two weeks ago. Just Start Me Up paid $81.80 for the win, the biggest long shot of the day … Racing in the Rain, a bay gelding five-year-old, won the nightcap on Sunday with Jones in the saddle for trainer/owner Nick Noswenko, holding off Romantic Gamble in the stretch.
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Kimura, Casse on course to win titles
