On November 3 at Woodbine, American-bred two-year-olds shone in both the Grade 3 Grey Stakes and Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes. Among the day’s highlights was the outstanding performance of He’s Not Joking, who secured a convincing four-length victory in the bet365 Grey Stakes (G3), marking the Di Scola Boys' first stakes win as owners. The two-year-old colt, trained by Josie Carroll, raced at 10-to-1 odds, piloted by Kazushi Kimura in his fourth start.
Shortly before the Grey, the Mazarine Stakes featured a strong filly favourite in Shifty, who had shown impressive speed in earlier races. Despite her strong showing, the race saw He’s Not Joking break free on the final stretch, overtaking Shifty and finishing in a time of 1:43.18. Dewolf finished in second place, while Shifty held onto third.
John Di Scola, along with his sons Mark and Joey, expressed their excitement about the win. “It feels awesome. We waited a long time for this moment,” he said proudly. Although the Di Scolas typically focus on Canadian-breds, He’s Not Joking is a Kentucky-bred, purchased for $105,000 at Keeneland. His lineage includes Iroquois Stakes winner Collegeville Girl and notable sprinting champion Glitter Woman.
Later in the day, SOMETHINABOUTHER utilised a similar strategy to claim victory in the Mazarine, marking an exceptional day for all involved.