Aug 25, 2025 – After competing well in her previous two races hampered by trips that had her fighting from way too far back, Canuck Racing Club was hoping to see what their first-ever stakes winning filly, War Painter (Danish Dynaformer – Morning Tale) could do with a clean trip on Woodbine’s inner turf track on Sunday. To have a shot at the win, she and her jockey, Sahin Civaci, would have to stay within striking distance of a more mature, seasoned and faster Irish horse, #2 Zisisit who was making her 31st career start under Rafael Hernandez.
War Painter and Civaci did their jobs admirably with a quick break to overcome their inner gate dram. The duo tucked in on the fence and patiently stalked Hernandez and Zisisit who wanted the lead. Always staying within striking distance, War Painter drafted behind the pacesetter down the backstretch, responding to Civaci’s nudges to keep pace as the frontrunner tried to pull away.
Staying close to the rail through the final bend, Civaci and War Painter found the seam they needed, shifting wide with their sights set on the leader. War Painter steadily gained on Zisisit who was unable to fend off the charge and could only watch as Canuck Racing Club’s filly surged past in the final sixteenth of a mile for the win.
War Painter’s record stands at 4-5-3 in 16 starts and she is 1-1-1 in her four races to date in 2025.
