It took her a little while to win her maiden but COURT RETURN went from breaking through for that first score into a stakes winner in two races for Ivan Dalos’ Tall Oaks Farm. The Court Vision ga, a half sister to Grade 1 winners Channel Maker and Johnny Bear, won a maiden optional claiming race by 8 lengths July 2 and then rolled to victory in the $100,800 Eternal Search Stakes Aug. 22 at Woodbine.
Trained by Josie Carroll, Court Return, from the Sovereign Award winning mare In Return, who passed away in 2018, was also the first stakes winner for jockey DAISUKE FUKUMOTO who picked up the mount from regular rider Luis Contreras. Contreras rode the favoured BRAMBLE QUEEN, a Silent Name (Jpn) mare coming in from New York where she was recently 4th in a Grade 2 to Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee.
However, Bramble Queen lost her hind action around the last turn of the inner turf and fell. It is reported that Contreras and the 5-year-old Bramble Queen were okay.
Court Return ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.66 and won over Roger Attfield’s Gun Society with Anthony Pottinger and Wayne Browne’s Desdeomna third.
Dalos greeted his winning filly after the race. This was the first visit to Woodbine for Dalos in 2020 since owners have only been allowed at Woodbine in the last three weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bramble Queen was the second horse this week who fell on the inner turf course as Miss Eavangerline fell earlier in the week and reported to be okay by the Mike Depaulo team.
The AGCO stewards received a call from at least one rider following the Eternal Search Stakes with concerns about the inner turf and thus the 10th race of the day, scheduled for 1 mile on that course, was taken off the turf.
Races 4, 8 and 11 on Sunday are scheduled for the inner turf.