Woodbine Racetrack Picks: Canada Day Racing Festival, 6/28/2025

Key Takeaways:

• Dresden Row (6-1) is a live contender in the Highlander Stakes (G2) with tactical versatility, a strong off-the-layoff record, and proven stakes form; My Boy Prince (5-2) brings top-class turf sprint credentials to the Canada Day Racing Festival and could sit the right stalking trip from the rail.
• Classic Mo Town (4-1) is the horse to beat in the Dominion Day Stakes (G3) after a decisive win in the Eclipse and strong staying form; Stanley House (10-1) offers longshot value with a valid excuse last out and a proven ability to show up in big spots.
• Ocean Club (12-1) is an attractive price play in the Nassau Stakes (G2) thanks to her solid turf mile record and return to trainer Tom Proctor; Sweet Rebecca (3-1) is lightly raced and improving, with the right running style and setup to take a big step forward second off the layoff.

The Canada Day racing festival happens at Woodbine Racetrack this Saturday, June 28. With 10 races, including five graded-stakes races, many of the best horses in Canada will be on full display. With big fields and competitive draws, the Canada Day racing festival brings horseplayers some of the biggest excitement of the summer, with lots of chances to score big at the betting windows.

Three of the five graded-stakes races Saturday at Woodbine are for older horses. Those include the Highlander Stakes (G2) for turf sprinters, the Nassau Stakes (G2) for filly and mare turf milers, and the Dominion Day Stakes (G3) for Tapeta-track routers. There is also a pair of Grade 3 events for sophomores at 1 1/16 miles on the main track—the Marine Stakes for open company and the Selene Stakes for fillies. With several Canada-breds in both of those races, they may reveal some exciting prospects for the King’s Plate this summer.

The 10-race Canada Day Racing Festival card gets underway with a first post time of 1:05 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday. Some rain is expected overnight Friday into Saturday, though skies on race day are expected to be clear. Make sure to check the track condition, scratches, and other race-day details, though, since weather or other reasons can lead trainers to take their horses out, and those can affect the pace setup and class composition of the fields.

Woodbine Racetrack Picks

Race 8 - Highlander Stakes (G2), six furlongs on the E. P. Taylor turf course (outer) - Dresden Row, My Boy Prince

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 5-2

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Everyone loves Patches O’Houlihan, of course. He is the reigning Canadian Horse of the Year, and being excited to take a stand against him seems almost … un-Canadian, during the Canada Day Racing Festival. But, we’re here to make money at the windows, and even though he’ll be a heavy favorite after missing a planned start in the Jacques Cartier (G3), there are a couple of excellent contenders to topple the chalk.

Most interesting among them is Dresden Row (6-1). He breaks from the outside in an eight-horse field, giving him a good chance for a clean and tactical trip. And, tactical versatility is the name of the game for this son of Lord Nelson—he rallied from midfield last out in the Prairie Bayou, missing by just a head, but he has been able to win on the front end and from a stalking spot, too. And, even though that last race was at two turns and this is at one, he has shown tactical speed going one turn as well. And, even though he is making the first start of his four-year-old year, he won fresh off a similarly long layoff last year, and he already has a graded-stakes victory over older foes from the summer of his sophomore season. He looks like a real up-and-comer, and though he has more experience on Tapeta than turf, his one turf sprint try as a juvenile showed enough to think he can handle it, especially now that he’s older and better.

My Boy Prince (5-2) comes out for trainer Mark Casse, who has won the last two editions of this race. Though he made his ascent last year on the Tapeta, winning the Plate Trial and running second to Caitlinhergrtness in the King’s Plate last year, he has been doing nothing but turf ever since. And, though he focused on longer races last year, his four-year-old season has seen him emerge as a turf sprinter. He won the listed Elusive Quality at Aqueduct on May 3 at six furlongs, the same distance as the Highlander, and then ran a good second to Ag Bullet in the Jaipur (G1) at Saratoga, perennially the classiest turf sprint race in the United States other than the Breeders’ Cup. The rail post could be a little thorny, but as long as there isn’t too much chaos early, he should be able to track in range of the pace and finish strongly.

Race 9 - Dominion Day Stakes (G3), 1 ⅛ miles on the Tapeta - Classic Mo Town, Stanley House

FanDuel odds: 4-1 and 10-1

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In a competitive renewal of the Dominion Day Stakes, a perennial Canada Day Racing Festival feature at Woodbine, there are some likely overlays within the eight-horse field. One of them is the in-form Classic Mo Town (4-1) for trainer Martin Drexler. He came close in a couple of races at Gulfstream Park during the winter, but comes into his own back at his home track of Woodbine. He won the 1 1/16-mile Eclipse (G2) on May 31, his first start of the Woodbine meet, and should have no problem stretching out for longer. After all, not only does he have an appealing pedigree for it, but he ran a promising second in the 1 ½-mile Valedictory (G3) last fall to end the Woodbine meet. He doesn’t have to stretch quite that far out this time. He also has a good running style for this, usually rallying from midpack or farther back, but tactical enough to sit up a bit closer or move a little earlier if the setup demands it.

A long shot to consider, especially for exotic wagers, is Stanley House (10-1). Though he was never involved when fifth behind Classic Mo Town in the Eclipse last out, an early stumble is a valid excuse, especially at this kind of price. With a better start, he should be able to get a good spot in range of the pace, which probably won’t fall apart, but does stand to be honest. He stayed on for a good second in this race behind Paramount Prince last year and was also third in the Autumn (G2) over this course and distance last November, With that tendency to show up in races like this, he should find the picture again at a price for trainer Michael De Paulo and jockey Leo Salles, who are firing well with long shots in recent races.

Race 10 - Nassau Stakes (G2), one mile on the E. P. Taylor turf course (outer) - Ocean Club, Sweet Rebecca

FanDuel odds: 12-1 and 3-1

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King’s Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness stands to get most of the attention as the morning-line favorite, but it’s a 12-horse field, and it’s far from a one-horse race.

Ocean Club (12-1) is an exciting long shot wager in her first start back in the Tom Proctor barn. She hasn’t been the most consistent through her career, but she has a lot of talent, and she has been running mostly in very tough American turf graded stakes races. She stole the Noble Damsel (G3) at a mile on the Aqueduct grass last year and has never missed the board at the distance. And, even though her most recent win came leading at every call, she has won from a stalking style, as well—a nice bit of versatility to have just in case someone like Caitlinhergrtness or Ms. Tart beats her to the front.

Sweet Rebecca (3-1) is an up-and-comer for Chad Brown, whose reputation with stakes-quality turf fillies needs no introduction. She is lightly raced, but appears to have come back better than ever at four. Her one start this year, in a turf mile allowance at Keeneland, was a game neck victory in her first start against older. She could move forward in her second start off the layoff, she can still use Lasix (which is permitted in Canadian graded stakes races, unlike American ones), and she has the tactical speed to work out a trip. Any improvement off that seasonal debut makes her a tough contender.

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