Horse Race Preview: Race 8 – Bison City Stakes at Woodbine

Track: Woodbine (Toronto, ON)

Distance: 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs)

Surface: All Weather (Tapeta)

Purse: $250,000

Post Time: 5:02 PM ET

Field Size: 6 runners

Winner’s Share: $157,500

Top Contenders

Winterberry (Post 5)

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Patrick Husbands

Pedigree: Frosted × Dreams Are Free

Odds: 13/5

Form: 615-513

Notes: Finished third in the Woodbine Oaks behind No Time. Tactical speed and proven class make her the one to beat.

Shifty (Post 1)

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Sahin Civaci

Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro × Elusive Luci

Odds: 11/5

Form: 634-132

Notes: Runner-up to No Time in last start. Inside draw and stalking style suit this distance.

Aristella (Post 6)

Trainer: Rachel Halden

Jockey: Rafael Hernandez

Pedigree: More Than Ready × Back to Love

Odds: 6/1

Form: 171-547

Notes: Stakes winner earlier in the season. Needs rebound after two off-the-board finishes.

Full Field Breakdown

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Pedigree	Form	Notes
1	Shifty	Mark Casse	Sahin Civaci	Medaglia d’Oro × Elusive Luci	634-132	Runner-up last out, inside draw
2	Crystal Visions	Stuart Simon	Ryan Munger	Bee Jersey × You Make Luvin Fun	033-829	Needs improvement, bobbled last start
3	Hibiscus	Josie Carroll	Pietro Moran	Constitution × Fiji Moon	0357	Faded late in maiden try
4	Innisfree Isle	Catherine D. Phillips	Fraser Aebly	Bolt d’Oro × Garavogue Colleen	518	One-paced in last stakes try
5	Winterberry	Mark Casse	Patrick Husbands	Frosted × Dreams Are Free	615-513	Woodbine Oaks 3rd, top contender
6	Aristella	Rachel Halden	Rafael Hernandez	More Than Ready × Back to Love	171-547	Needs bounce-back, outside draw

Strategic Insights

Pace Scenario: Shifty and Winterberry likely to press the pace. Aristella and Innisfree Isle may try to close late.

Track Bias: Woodbine’s Tapeta surface favors tactical speed and wide momentum in route races.

Trainer Trends: Mark Casse has two strong entries and a dominant record in Canadian filly stakes.

Top Pick: Winterberry
Value Play: Aristella
Longshot to Watch: Crystal Visions