Page 18 - January 2017 Thoroughbred Highlight

August 2001 issue
Alexis (IRE) with Trainer Cliff Hopmans Jr. and Assistant Trainer Ian Maddox.
A lot of Firsts in 2001 G3 Dance Smartly Stakes
It was the rst Graded Stakes win for D. Morgan Firestone’s Alexis (IRE), the rst Stakes win since his return to training for Cliff Hopmans Jr., and the rst Woodbine career stakes win for Jockey Jono Jones.
Cliff Hopmans Jr. continued training at Woodbine until 2007 and his top horses included multiple Graded Stakes winner Classic Stamp, multiple Stakes winner Mulligan the Great, and multiple Stakes Placed Dawn Watcher.
Trainer Laurie Silvera stands with On the Game (I liked that name!)
Did You Know.....
That before the new Woodbine Racetrack was built in 1956 there were seven Thoroughbred racetracks in Southern Ontario: Old Woodbine (a.k.a. Greenwood), Thorncliffe Park, Dufferin Park, Long Branch, Hamilton, Stamford Park (Niagara Falls) and Fort Erie Race Track.
Young, up and coming trainer, Kevin Attard (right of horse) recorded his rst win as a trainer at Woodbine on July 12 with 2YO lly Jade Eyed, owned by Stronach Stable in a maiden claiming $75,000- $80,000 race. Sixteen days later on July 28 Jade Eyed romped in the Nandi Stakes to also provide Kevin with his rst stakes win as trainer.
Today Kevin, the son of long-time Woodbine trainer Tino Attard, is a multiple Graded Stakes winning trainer who ranked second in number of wins behind Mark Casse in 2015 and earned a Sovereign Award nomination for Outstanding Trainer that year.
Ranked third in number of wins in 2016, this last year was his most successful year for earnings thus far.
Kevin’s top horses include multiple Graded Stakes winning 2014 Champion Sprinter Calgary Cat and multiple Graded Stakes winner Melmich, both owned by Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman. Calgary Cat and Melmich both competed this past year in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Championships at Santa Anita in California.
Stakes winner and 2007 Champion 3 year-old male, Alezzandro and graded stakes and 2006 Champion 2 year-old male Leonnatus Anteas, both owned by Knob Hill Stable were also trained by Kevin.
Trainer Kevin Attard (second from left) with his son Joshua (left) with owners Cory Hoffman (second from right) & Stephen Chesney (right) outside the saddling enclosure at Woodbine on closing day of the 2016 meet.
Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 18 - January 2017