Creed's Gold Repeats in Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine
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Photo: Michael Burns
Creed's Gold wins the Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine
Kristin Meldahl's Creed's Gold took the $124,169 Hendrie Stakes (G3) for the second year in a row to highlight a card with three grade 3 events July 25 at Woodbine.
The Mark Casse trainee broke moderately in the 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta race and followed front-runners Without Cause and Kehoe Beach , but was taken back to stalk from third as opening fractions of :22.38 and :45.08 were drilled up front.
Creed's Gold was urged by rider Rafael Hernandez around the far turn, and followed stablemate Time to Dazzle toward her outside, as Without Cause faded between them.
The 5-year-old daughter of Jimmy Creed accelerated at the top of the stretch, blowing past Kehoe Beach to eventually outrun Time to Dazzle by 1 1/2 lengths. Reagan's Flame closed late for third.
In a postrace in-house television interview, Hernandez praised Creed's Gold's versatility, noting she can win on the lead, as she did in the 2025 Hendrie, or from off the pace.
She ran a final time of 1:16.14 on Tapeta, paying $5.50 on a $2 win ticket.
Video: Hendrie S. (G3)
Fantastical scores Narrow Trillium Win
In a fantastic finish, the Carl R. Moore Management's Fantastical kicked late to score by a head in the 1 1/8-mile $127,503 Trillium Stakes (G3) a race later on the card.
With Hernandez aboard, the 5-year-old daughter of Air Force Blue stalked the pace from fifth, just outside of longshot Fortyfiveseventy , while Lupa set fractions of :24.29, :49.57, and 1:13.69
Swinging four wide into the stretch, Fantastical kept grinding in the center of the racetrack, with Fortyfiveseventy toward her inside. Together, they inched closer to front-runners Lupa and Rashmi in late stretch, with Fantastical winning the three-horse photo finish.
Lupa held on for second, another head in front of third-place Fortyfiveseventy.
Fantastical was clocked in 1:51.15 on Tapeta. She paid $10.20 for a $2 wager.
Video: Trillium S. Presented by Don Julio (G3)
Dakotah Blue Takes Ontario Colleen
In a race that hinged on a finishing kick, Flying Zee Racing Stables' Dakotah Blue outfinished Bandiagara by a half-length to capture the $124,169 Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T), the first stakes race on Woodbine's Saturday card.
Sixth of eight 3-year-old fillies after a half-mile, Dakotah Blue, under Jose Campos, got the jump on Bandiagara, who attempted to rally from last. After advanced toward the leaders on the second turn and in the early stretch, Dakotah Blue took the lead in the final sixteenth of a mile and was able to outlast Bandiagara. The winner raced a mile on a firm turf course in 1:35.20 following quick initial splits in the race of :22.70 and :46.89 set by Happy Destination , who retreat over the second half-mile.
Flowerhead showed.
Rachel Halden trains Dakotah Blue ($21.30), a daughter of Mendelssohn bred in Kentucky out of the Empire Maker mare Empire Lady. Dakotah Blue, a $25,000 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale purchase in 2023, is now 2-for-4 in posting her first career stakes victory.