Woodbine Recap: Owen’s Tour Guide Shines, Hoyte and Nicholls in the Spotlight

As the 2024 Thoroughbred season at Woodbine heads into its final months, the arrival of fall brought heavy rain on Monday, with more expected throughout the week. Ongoing work on the track, including tunnel construction and soon the Taylor turf course, has altered training on the main track.

With shifts in the jockey roster—Kimura absent, apprentice Moran injured, and both Aebly and Vives nearing the end of their apprentice terms—riders like Jason Hoyte, Keveh Nicholls, Emma-Jayne Wilson, and Leo Salles are capitalizing on the opportunities, racking up wins with longshot mounts.

In the week’s lone stakes race, the Zadracarta Stakes, Owen's Tour Guide delivered an impressive victory. The five-furlong inner turf sprint, open to Ontario-bred fillies and mares aged 3 and up, saw Owen's Tour Guide, owned by Tequesta Racing and trained by Willie Armata, surge from just off the pace to claim the win. Ridden by Jose Campos, who also secured victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes earlier this month, the 7-1 shot was supplemented to the race and didn’t disappoint. After stalking the leaders—Indian Music, Olivia Rose, and Cara Cara—Campos guided Owen’s Tour Guide to the outside in the stretch, overtaking her rivals to win by a length. Olivia Rose finished second, with Cara Cara half a length back in third. The final time was :57.25 over good ground, earning the mare an 81 Beyer Figure.

Jason "Jet Li" Hoyte had a standout week, winning three races, including a turf race with Unheard for trainer Saul McHugh. McHugh notched two wins this week, including his first of the season with Indiana Road, a filly he co-bred with longtime clients Robyn Brohman and Maureen Hewitt-Topp. Hoyte also piloted a 9-1 shot Dubawi Bull to victory for Run Your Race Stables and trainer Sylvain Pion, and shocked the field with a 30-1 upset aboard Mambointheforest for trainer Rod Sadler.

Keveh Nicholls also enjoyed a strong week, notching wins on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with well-priced horses, including a sharp ride aboard Warp Ride for Norm McKnight at 8-1 on Sunday.

In a sentimental victory, Laura Krausaskaite celebrated her first homebred winner on Sunday when Heard A Ghost, a 2-year-old chestnut colt by Queen’s Plate winner Shaman Ghost, rallied late under Fraser Aebly to win his debut at nearly 27-1 odds. The win was a triumphant return for Krausaskaite, who had burst onto the Woodbine scene in 2019 but had not found the winner’s circle for the past two seasons.