by Chris Lomon / Woodbine communications

Ontario-breds won two of the five stakes on Woodbine Racetrack’s Saturday (June 28) Canada Day Racing Festival card. Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan won the $200,000 bet365 Highlander Stakes (Grade 2) and Mansetti won the 150,000 HPIbet Marine Stakes (Grade 3).

Patches O’Houlihan (above) drifted out down the lane, but managed to come out on top in  the Highlander.

Sofia Vives wasted no time in putting Patches O’Houlihan ahead of the pack in the six-furlong turf sprint for 4-year-olds and up contested over an E.P. Taylor turf listed as good, with My Boy Prince and Old Chestnut picking up the pursuit through a spirited opening panel in :22.13.

Patches O’Houlihan was still calling the shots through a half in :44.36, but the multiple graded stakes winning son of Reload out of the Silent Name (JPN) mare Maythefourthbwithu began to drift out coming off the turn for home.

Patches O’Houlihan continued to drift towards the grandstand as My Boy Prince commenced a furious inside rally and began to cut into the lead.

Clinging to a head lead at the stretch call, Patches O’Houlihan, bred and owned by Frank Di Giulio, Jr., held on for an eventful neck score in a time of 1:08.39. My Boy Prince was three lengths clear of Dresden Row for second. Playmea Tune was fourth. Its Time to Shine and Ms. Tart were both scratched. ​

Patches O’Houlihan, a bay gelding, was pulled up by Vives after the race and and is now back at the barn and resting comfortably after being assessed by the veterinarians. Further updates will be shared on X through @WoodbineComms.

Now 13-1-0 from 16 starts, the 5-year-old, trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Bob Tiller, has now six of his past seven starts. He was scratched from a spot in the starting gate for the Jacques Cartier Stakes on May 31 after spiking a fever.

Patches O’Houlihan – a nod to the Rip Torn character in the comedy movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story – debuted in September 2022 and posted a 4 ½-length score at 5 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track.

Between May and September of 2023, he reeled off six consecutive victories.

He paid $3.60 for the Highlander win. ​

MANSETTI POWERS TO MARINE VICTORY

Mansetti (Pietro Moran) winning the Marine Stakes (G3) on June 28, 2025 at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)

Mansetti rebounded from a tough outing with a stellar showing in the HPIbet Marine Stakes.

After a troubled fifth-place finish in his previous start, the Queenston Stakes, on June 8, Mansetti got back on the winning track and in doing so, stamped himself as a top contender for the 166th running of The King’s Plate, on Aug. 16 at Woodbine.

War Signal flexed early speed to seize control steps out of the gate into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, the filly holding a half-length lead through an opening quarter in :24.05, as Mansetti, under Pietro Moran, was part of the second flight along with Sedburys Ghost and Scorching.

On top by two lengths after a half in :48.85, War Signal, third in last year’s Shady Well Stakes, was then confronted by Mansetti, who glided up on the outside to engage the pacesetter coming off the turn for home.

As the field straightened for the sprint to the wire, Mansetti marched to the front and was then kept to task by Moran, as Scorching and 6-5 choice Megalodon looked to reel in their rival.

A head on top at the stretch call, Mansetti crossed the wire a one length-winner in a time of 1:45.00. Scorching, back off a ninth-month layoff, finished a half-length ahead of Megalodon for second. Sedburys Ghost was fourth. ​

“It’s a different test for today,” said Moran. “You know, to be honest, I was a bit worried. I don’t know if he would get the distance. He’s always trained like a great horse.

“He really picked it up, he jumped right out and showed me that he’s going to grind the rest of the way and down the lane – it’s just a matter of getting him there. He’s just all heart.”

Trained by Kevin Attard for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling, the bay colt is now 4-0-0 from 7 starts, including stakes scores in this year’s Woodstock and the 2024 edition of the Clarendon.

The King’s Plate is definitely on the radar.

“He’s earned his way into that race now off of this win,” said Attard. “So, it’s nice to see today kind of come together and take that next step.

“He’s really mentally matured a lot, and he’s always shown a lot of talent. Just been kind of one good race, one bad race. Unfortunately, last time, he lost all chance at the break. So, I think you can just draw a line through it. And today, the race unfolded really well. Pietro sat a great trip, gave him a good ride, and we were lucky to hang on.”

A son of Collected out of the Sky Mesa mare Gidget Girl, Mansetti debuted with a win at six furlongs over the main track last September at Woodbine, dueling early before pulling away to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:11.49.

Bred in Ontario by Jungle Racing, LLC, he paid $12.80 for the Marine win.

A $40,000 purchase (Hip No. 48) from the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, Mansetti is named after a popular pizza and pasta restaurant in the Ulwellings’ home state of Minnesota.