After what could be considered rebuilding years in 2013 -2015, Trainer Catherine Day Phillips has once again hit her stride with back to back career high years in the win column at Woodbine.
2016 was a terrific year with 22 wins in 84 starts and earnings of $952,566 for Catherine’s Kingfield Racing Stable and a number of other owners and partnerships that race under the care of her Catherine Day Phillips Racing Stable barn at Woodbine.
With 2017 now in the books at Woodbine Catherine’s final tally for the season saw her earn a new career high win total of 24 this year with more than $1.2 million in earnings placing her 10th among the top trainers at Woodbine based on number of wins. With 94 starts at Woodbine this season Catherine’s runners were pictured in the winner’s circle 26{9f397ac38e01c7df95d0d7a79cfbb94357c77bd28aa72c3579aa32ab1ef49745} of the time with an average of $50,295 in earnings per starter. Catherine Day Phillips starters were in the top 3 for more than half of those starts (56{9f397ac38e01c7df95d0d7a79cfbb94357c77bd28aa72c3579aa32ab1ef49745}) with stats of 94-24-19-8 for 2017. Catherine Day Phillips Trainer Profile
After wintering in Canada at the start of 2017, the barn started rolling with Kingview Farms’ Rainbow’s Ahead leading the charge with a win May 31, who was claimed out of the race. The Fitzhenry’s Guy Caballero notched the first Stakes win for Catherine in 2017 with an exciting win in the Plate Trial Stakes which earned him a chance to compete in the 157th running of the Queen’s Plate along side stable mate Watch Me Strut, owned by Catherine’s Kingfield Racing Stable and George P. Ledson.
Breeders and Owners Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry also celebrated stakes wins with Mr. Havercamp (Vice Regent Stakes and Bunty Lawless Stakes) and travelled to Saratoga Racecourse where he finished a very game 5th in the G3 Saranac, a race Catherine had won before with Jambalaya in 2005. The excitement continued with their 2YO Curlin filly Dixie Moon providing the couple with continued excitement winning her first career start in August. In her next start she was narrowly beat in the G1 Natalma Stakes before taking the Cup and Saucer by an easy length. She jetted off to California to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, finishing a respectable 6th before returning to Woodbine to capture the Ontario Lassie Stakes to finish out her 2YO campaign.
Another Black Type scorer this year was Ontario Damsel Stakes winner Financial Recovery, bred and owned by Anderson Farms Ontario Inc. with Narolla LLC.
David Anderson’s Anderson Farms Ontario Inc. enjoyed several other wins this season with Catherine Day Phillips. The Anderson Farms bred 2YO Grace and Dignity, by Animal Kingdom – Precision Farming, by Smart Strike won her first two career starts by open lengths in each race. Her next start, the Glorious Song Stakes, Grace and Dignity was the heavy race favourite, however being roused to match crazy speed early cost her the win finishing second for new owners Hart, E. Iavarone, M., Iavarone J., Arntz, C., Arntz, J., and Saucer, B.
Trainer Catherine Day Phillips 2017 winners include:
May 31 – Rainbow’s Ahead – $24,100 Claiming
June 4 – Watch Me Strut – $61,000 Allowance Optional Claiming
June 11 – Split My Pants – $34,000 Maiden Optional Claiming
June 11 – Guy Caballero – $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes
June 25 – Gilded Splinters – $61,000 Allowance
June 25 – Mill Road – $61,000 Maiden Special Weight
July 1 – Financial Recovery – $125,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes
July 21 – Mr. Havercamp – $61,000 Maiden Special Weight
August 5 – Fragrance – $61,000 Maiden Special Weight
August 13 – Mr. Havercamp – $39,800 Optional Claiming
August 19 – Dixie Moon – $61,000 Maiden Special Weight
September 16 – Grace and Dignity $61,000 Maiden Special Weight
September 23 – Mr. Havercamp $125,000 Vice Regent Stakes
September 24 – Aye Aye Captain – $39,800 Optional Claiming
September 24 – Gilded Splinters – $62,300 Allowance Optional Claiming
September 30 – Split My Pants – $39,800 Optional Claiming
October 7 – Leviathan – $30,700 Maiden Claiming
October 8 – Dixie Moon – $225,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes
October 9 – Eradicator – $27,200 Maiden Claiming
October 15 – Smooth Talk – $45,000 Maiden Special Weight
October 18 – Grace and Dignity – $61,000 Allowance Optional Claiming
October 21 – Mr. Havercamp – $125,000 Bunty Lawless Stakes
October 21 – Eminent Force – $62,300 Allowance Optional Claiming
December 3 – Dixie Moon – $125,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes
Catherine and the horses will be getting a break for 4 weeks before heading South to Palm Meadows Training Centre in Florida with 16 horses that will be preparation for Woodbine’s 2018 season scheduled to begin April 21.
© 2016 Catherine Day Phillips Racing Stable
