TORONTO, October 31, 2024 – Rookies share the Grade 3 stakes spotlight Sunday at Woodbine on a card that features the bet365 $135,000 Grey and the $135,000 Mazarine Presented by Ketel One.
A son of Mosler out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare Keep Right, Thundering arrives at the Grey, a 1 1/16-mile main track event for 2-year-olds, off a top-shelf score in the seven-furlong Display Stakes on Oct. 13.
Trained by Patrick Dixon for owner and breeder Dastur Racing, the bay, under Eswan Flores, sat off the pace before powering to the lead in upper stretch en route to a 1 ¼-length victory in 1:23.64.
“It seems like the further he goes, the better he gets,” said Dixon. “I think that performance gave us even more confidence that we can stretch him out and test him a little bit more. He seems like he will enjoy going further.
“I was just so excited [watching the stretch drive] and so happy for the owners. And for him to be what we thought he was – that was great. You can always hope they will be what they are showing you in the spring, but to see it come true was quite amazing. It was special to see him hit the lead and then keep going.”
Thundering debuted on Sept. 15 at Woodbine and finished third in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race.
The Maryland-bred sat outside along the backstretch before going four to five wide on the turn and advancing to be six-deep at the top of the lane. Despite drifting in, Thundering secured the show placing, 3 ¼ lengths behind the winner.
“It was very good,” said Dixon. “He had a bad break. He got bumped coming out of the gate and he was a little bit green. It looked like he was trying to find his feet early on and wondering why everyone else was going so fast.
“When he finally found his feet, he had to go wide of everybody, and then he was looking at everyone in the grandstand coming down the lane. It was a lot for him to take in his first race. We were very, very happy with the result.”
As they were with the display in the Display.
“It was great watching that effort, to see him dig in and to see that determination he had. The owners love him. They come and see him all the time, so for them to have him – they don’t have many horses – and to be a homebred, it’s special.”
Dixon is hopeful lightning can strike twice for his burgeoning rookie.
“He came out of the race so well – it seemed like it was morning gallop for him – and he was very happy after it. He’s doing well, he’s eating well, and it seems like he’s enjoying himself.
“We are coming back three weeks after his last race, but he is doing great. It’s a step up and this will be the furthest he has run, but he looks like he’s ready for the challenge.”
Dixon will also be represented by the supplemented Coolcollected (pictured below, Michael Burns photo)
The stakes-placed (third in the Soaring Free) son of Collected is 1-0-1 from 4 starts for owner Colebrook Farms.
“He’s doing phenomenally well and he’s training well too,” said Dixon, of the horse bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones. “Ryan [jockey, Munger] was on him for a nice breeze (five-furlongs in 1:01.60) on the main track this Sunday.
“We have always liked this horse, and we are expecting him to run well.”
Paul Wilson is the groom for both Thundering and Coolcollected.
Field for the Grey (Race 9)
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Shifty – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
2 – Faber – Fraser Aebly – Kevin Attard
3 – Tapit Kissit Winit – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
4 – Ready to Battle – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
5 – Dewolf – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
6 – He’s Not Joking – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
7 – Vamos Carlitos – Vincent Cheminaud – Jonathan Thomas
8 – Coolcollected (S) – Ryan Munger – Patrick Dixon
9 – No Time – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
10 – Thundering – Eswan Flores – Patrick Dixon
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Chris Lomon, Woodbine
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