Woodbine Racecourse prepares for one of its major Canada Day fixtures with a strong field assembled for the $150,000 Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes, where seven experienced runners will compete over 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta surface.
Dominion Day Stakes preview
The Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes preview highlights Wyoming Bill as one of the key contenders for the Woodbine feature.
The four-year-old Ontario-bred chestnut, trained and now partly owned by Catherine Day Phillips, arrives with proven class and a profile that suggests he is still improving. He will be partnered by leading rider Emma-Jayne Wilson as he takes on older rivals in Saturday’s ninth race.
Bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, Wyoming Bill is a son of Curlin and the Rahy mare Dixie Chicken. His career earnings stand at $234,385, with his biggest achievement coming when he finished just a head behind Gas Me Up in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes.
The colt also competed in the prestigious $1 million Woodbine Mile, finishing eighth in a race won by Notable Speech.
Day Phillips believes the timing of the Dominion Day Stakes is ideal for Wyoming Bill, especially after his recent success over a similar distance.
“I think this race, the timing was very good,” Day Phillips said. “The distance made sense. He just won by a mile and a 16th, which gave us five weeks into this race at a mile and an eighth.”
She added that Wyoming Bill’s versatility remains one of his biggest strengths. The horse has shown ability on both synthetic and turf tracks, giving the stable confidence as his campaign continues.
“He is very versatile. He’ll run on the synthetic. He also is very good on the turf,” she said.
Wyoming Bill has earned respect for his consistency and attitude in training. Day Phillips described him as a confident horse with a strong personality, noting his presence when he walks onto the track each morning.
The Dominion Day Stakes is expected to bring together a competitive group, including Paramount Prince, Runaway Again, Swift Delivery, Whiskey N Soda, Saugeen and Notorious Gangster.
Wyoming Bill returned to winning form on May 23, recording victory in his latest allowance optional claiming start. The result continued a positive four-year-old season in which he has shown signs of reaching another level.
The ownership story behind the colt has also added interest. After being purchased by Day Phillips and a group of friends at the Fasig-Tipton December Digital Selected Sale, Wyoming Bill continued his journey with the newly formed Latitude Adjustment Stable.
Day Phillips said the decision to keep the horse was influenced by her long association with his family line, including his dam Dixie Chicken, who has produced several talented runners.
“He feels like he’s part of the family,” she said.
The Dominion Day Stakes has a long history at Woodbine, with Friuli winning the inaugural running in 1979. Trainer Roger Attfield remains the most successful conditioner in the race’s history with six victories, including the 2019 edition with Are You Kidding Me.
First race post time on Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with the Dominion Day Stakes set as Race 9 on the card.
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