Midnight Mascot, sent off as the even-money choice, powered to the front late to take the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine.
Ridden by Patrick Husbands, Midnight Mascot, a son of Army Mule out of Midnight Embrace, by Midnight Lute, notched his first stakes victory for trainer Mark Casse and owners Manfred and Penny Conrad.
It was Adios Now, breaking from the rail, who was quickest of all and set the early tone. Tunechi sat just off the leader to the outside, while Husbands settled Midnight Mascot into third through an opening panel in :23.37.
Adios Now, in rein to Sahin Civaci, was still in control after a half reached in :46.66. Tunechi began to dial up the pressure to the outside, as Midnight Mascot was asked to take aim at the frontrunner.
Just over a length back of Adios Now at the stretch call, Midnight Mascot was guided to the outside and began to reel in his stubborn foe, going on to record a three-quarter length triumph in a time of 1:10.71. Naptown was third, followed by Break the Spell, Tunechi, and Countryboysurvive.
“Going back to his last race [Clarendon Stakes] when I rode him last year, to this race today, he was much the best last time and today he was much the best,” offered Husbands, who was recently named to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
It was the second win, to go along with a pair of seconds and a third, from six starts for the colt who was bred in Ontario by Yvonne Schwabe.
After a third and second to launch his career last season, Midnight Mascot broke his maiden last October. He was fifth in the Grey Stakes (G3) before closing out his rookie season with a second in the Clarendon on Dec. 2.
“Last time that I rode him, unfortunately, he should have won, but his owners did get a chance to run him back. Through this whole race, they tried to run at the best horse, and I knew where he was sitting that it would be a matter of time of how far he would win [by].”
The Conrads purchased Midnight Mascot for $200,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was presented by Denali Stud.
“It’s so thrilling and I’m really happy for the Conrads,” said Schwabe. “I have the mare and I have a full sibling and she just had a filly by Vekoma the other day. It’s so wonderful when your homebreds do well, especially when they come home to Canada and do well.”
Husbands, whose decorated career has yielded over 3,600 career wins, three of them King’s Plates, including the Canadian Triple Crown with Wando in 2003, was ecstatic to get the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame call.
“It was a dream come true," Husbands said. "Sitting with the top riders in Canada all these years and to get this award is stunning.”
His win today with Midnight Mascot returned $4.10.
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