Derrynane captures the Woodbine Cares Stakes beneath Joel Rosario.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Waterville Lake Stable 2-year-old homebred Derrynane put an off-the-board effort in Saratoga’s Bolton Landing Stakes behind her when she shipped to Woodbine for an easy victory in the $125,000 Woodbine Cares Stakes Sunday.
Racing over 5 furlongs on the turf, the Christophe Clement-trained New York-bred broke from the gate as a heavy favorite in a field of six. Derrynane immediately settled into the back of the field with just one horse behind her as Fulminate set the pace.
The juveniles turned the race into a frantic dash as they swung into the long Woodbine stretch with Derrynane switching outside to take up the running a few spots off the rail.
Joel Rosario gave the filly only a few taps as they passed the leader and she cruised to a 2 ¾-length win in :57.04. Fifth Anniversary finished second, with Dufresne third. Derrynane won for the second time in three starts. She broke her maiden on debut at Saratoga in July.
The daughter of Quality Road is a second-generation runner for Waterville Lake Stables and Clement. The owner and trainer also teamed up to race her dam Portmagee. A $75,000 yearling purchase, that Kentucky-bred mare won the License Fee Stakes and was third in the Grade 3 Intercontinental in 2017. A granddaughter of Grade 3 winner Collect Call, Portmagee was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and counts Grade 2 winner Old Fashioned among her dam’s half-siblings.
After producing Derrynane as her first foal, Portmagee delivered a New York-bred filly by Candy Ride last year and was bred back to Uncle Mo. The mare was bred to More Than Ready and Speightstown in 2021.
