BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Gary Barber’s War of Destiny will make the first start of his sophomore year Sunday in the CA$125,000 Woodstock, a six-furlong contest for nine 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the all-weather main track at Woodbine. While it has been nearly four months since his last race, Florida-bred War of Destiny will be racing against familiar competition.
A winner of a six-furlong maiden special weight in the second race of his career on the synthetic at Woodbine in November, War of Destiny completed last year in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic at Woodbine, finishing fifth behind winner Church and State on Dec. 6. Church and State is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line for the Woodstock.
War of Destiny started his career finishing fifth to Woodstock rival Thundering in the $125,000 Display at Woodbine going seven furlongs on Oct. 13. Finishing sixth in the Display was Mansetti, another Woodstock entrant.
War of Destiny has earned $34,289 in his three starts and is listed at 10-1 on the morning line. Sahin Civaci has ridden War of Destiny in each of those three races and trainer Mark Casse has given him the return mount.
War of Destiny has post one.
Church and State also returns off a long layoff, making his first start since finishing fourth in the $125,000 Leonatus won by Baby Max on the synthetic course at Turfway Park on Jan. 18.
Trained by Dale Desruisseaux for Centennial Farms Inc. Church and State was two-for-two at Woodbine last year after breaking his maiden after coming from tenth of 11 to win by two-and-a-half lengths aganst special weight company on Nov. 15.
Church and State is by Caravaggio and will be ridden from post three by Rafael Hernandez.
After the Display, Mansetti took the $150,000 Clarendon against fellow Ontario-breds going seven furlongs at Woodbine on Nov. 24. Trainer Kevin Attard then tried the son of Collected in the one-mile Jerome on the main track at Aquedcut on Jan. 4, but he was far behind winner Cyclone State in fifth.
Owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Mansetti 6-1 on the morning line and will be ridden from post two by Pietro Moran.
Thundering has one race since the Display, finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Grey going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Woodbine on Nov. 3. He is trained by Patrick Dixon for Dastur Racing and the gelded son of Mosler is 8-1 in the program.
Thundering has drawn post eight and has Eswan Flores taking the riding assignment.
Rounding out the field are Big Vince with jockey Walter Rodriguez, Incoming with Ryan Munger up, Most Likely will be ridden by Patrick Husbands, Kokomo has Sofia Vives taking the riding assignment and Notorious Gangster will have Fraser Aebly in the irons.
Return to the April 26 issue of Wire to Wire
