Aug 27, 2023 – Canuck Racing Club members had reasons to cheer on Sunday’s races with two thoroughbreds from its racing stable competing at Woodbine. As expected, their Vandoo found herself in a very tough race in the $200,000 Muskoka Stakes. Prior to post time, the odds and most experts had Hurricane Claire (#8) and You Be the Judge (#7) finishing first and second.
In her second ever start (the filly won her first outing), Vandoo was great out of the gate and led the pack through most of the race – again – until Hurricane Claire earned her favourite moniker with an impressive burst of speed down the stretch. Vandoo held off You Be the Judge but was was caught just before the wire to give the club a third place finish in the $200K stakes race (watch replay).
Earlier in race 3, the club’s promising filly War Painter also ran a solid race (watch replay) in a battle for a $111,600 purse and added to her owners’ coffers and promising start with two-for-two finishes in the money.
For those keeping score, Canuck Racing Club has now raced 8 times this summer as of the date of this post and the club has finished in the money 6 times. Of the two times their horses did not finish in the top three, one was an enviable King’s Plate appearance in which EnjoytheSilent overcame a terrible gate position and still earned for the club with a respectable sixth place finish in a field of 17 horses.