Last weekend’s Grade II Autumn Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack saw Mighty Heart snatch the crown and the accompanying sizeable cash prize.
Last weekend, Woodbine Racetrack hosted its annual Grade II Autumn Stakes, which saw Mighty Heart triumph and snatch the CA$175,000 grand prize. The reigning Canadian horse of the year, Mighty Heart, sped past seven other steeds and emerged victorious, leaving other renowned fillies on the turf.
The race fielded a total of eight equines, including Special Forces, Embolden, Primo Touch, Vanzzy, Sir Winston, Halo Again, Faraway Kitten, and the winner Mighty Heart. The Autumn Stakes featured as the eighth race on Sunday’s race card, from a total of 11 racing events. Horseracing fans could bet using the Dark Horse Bets app or via HPIbet.com.
Mighty Heart Dominates the Day
Mighty Heart, trained by Josie Carroll on behalf of owner Lawrence Cordes, returned outstandingly last Sunday on the 1 1/16-mile Woodbine Racetrack. The horse started off well, having a one-length lead at half-mile, with a time of 47.23 seconds. The Queen’s Plate 2020 winner continued advancing, having a one and a half-length lead at the stretch call.
The reigning Canadian horse of the year managed to snatch the crown easily with a final time of 1:42.51. The Belmont Stakes 2019 winner, Sir Winston, came second with three-quarters of a length behind, closely followed by Special Forces in third place, while Halo Again claimed the fourth spot.
Patrick Husbands, who rode the winning hose, noted that the horse demonstrated the full potential of a true champion during Sunday’s race. Husbands recalled that when he rode the horse at the Durham Cup, Mighty Heart paused at the three-eighths pole and could not be motivated again. Luckily, this did not repeat on Sunday, and the filly dominated the race.
Josie Carroll also shared her delight with the results. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame titleholder said that steeds like Mighty Heart are hard to find. According to her, the one-eyed horse never allowed his handicap to affect him and once again proved himself worthy. The winner paid CA$9.20 to triumph at the stakes, this being his sixth victory from a total of 15 career starts.
