Horse Race Preview: Race 8 – Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine

Dive into the $200,000 Simcoe Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings at Woodbine, where ten promising juveniles stretch out to 6½ furlongs on the Tapeta all-weather track. Post time is set for 4:53 PM ET on Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Pace & Run-Style Breakdown

Front-runners: Highwaytothemoon, Bank On Big Winner and Silver Is Best project to be on or near the lead, pressing honest early fractions.

Mid-pack stalkers: Duckduckduck, Big Bold And First and Speights Will will aim to tuck in close behind the speedsters, saving ground turning for home.

Deep closers: Dri Saddle, Making His Mark, Noburu and Found Money require a hot pace to rally strongly late.

A swift opening quarter in the low :22s will set up the stretch for late-running types, while moderate fractions could favor gate-to-wire tactics.

Entrants Overview

Post	Horse	OR	Jockey	Trainer	Pedigree (Sire – Dam)
1	Duckduckduck	80	Sahin Civaci	Evette Chartrand-Hoek	Silent Name (JPN) – Peggy O
2	Highwaytothemoon	87	Rafael Hernandez	Dale Desruisseaux	Ransom the Moon – High Society Gal
3	Found Money	82	Keveh Nicholls	Matt Douglas	Beau Liam – Diamondette
4	Bank On Big Winner	75	Pietro Moran	William Tharrenos	Big Screen – Reload the Bank
5	Silver Is Best	78	David Moran	William Tharrenos	Signature Red – Scatter the Silver
6	Noburu	71	Fraser Aebly	Josie Carroll	Connect – Obaasan
7	Speights Will	72	Ryan Munger	Steven Chircop	War of Will – No Alimony
8	Big Bold And First	65	Jose Luis Campos	William Tharrenos	Signature Red – Essence of Silver
9	Dri Saddle	57	Xarel Forde	Philip Hall	Thousand Words – Pond Hockey
10	Making His Mark	63	Eswan Flores	John A. Ross	Souper Speedy – Relocate

Leading Contenders

2 – Highwaytothemoon (Rafael Hernandez – Dale Desruisseaux)

Highwaytothemoon remains unbeaten after a debut romp at five furlongs, drawing off by 3¼ lengths to score authoritatively. Off an official rating of 87, he possesses tactical speed and a sharp turn of foot, and Desruisseaux’s juveniles often fire second-time out.

4 – Bank On Big Winner (Pietro Moran – William Tharrenos)

Turned back to two turns in his career bow, this Big Screen colt overcame early pressure to win by 3¾ lengths over six furlongs. His all-weather pedigree and morning-line OR of 75 make him dangerous when able to clear early traffic.

5 – Silver Is Best (David Moran – William Tharrenos)

Silver Is Best dispatched a maiden special weight field by 5¼ lengths at five furlongs in July, displaying both speed and gate-to-wire prowess. The Signature Red–Scatter the Silver cross suggests he’ll relish the added yardage here.

1 – Duckduckduck (Sahin Civaci – Evette Chartrand-Hoek)

Runner-up on debut, Duckduckduck rated off a hot pace before finishing a clear second, beaten just over three lengths by Highwaytothemoon. His OR of 80 reflects promise, and from the inside draw he can secure a ground-saving trip.

Dark Horses & Value Plays

3 – Found Money (Keveh Nicholls/Matt Douglas): Solid third in debut; pedigree (Beau Liam–Diamondette) hints at improvement stretching out.

6 – Noburu (Fraser Aebly/Josie Carroll): Bred to be a closer; needs pace but capable if fractions are honest.

7 – Speights Will (Ryan Munger/Steven Chircop): Consistent late runner; could hit the board at double-digit odds if pace collapses.

Trainer & Jockey Highlights

Evette Chartrand-Hoek fires first-timer Duckduckduck; her two-year-old runners have a 24% win rate at this meet.

William Tharrenos boasts three entries (Bank On Big Winner, Silver Is Best, Big Bold And First) and maintains a 21% strike rate with juvenile sprinters here.

Patrick Husbands leads all Woodbine riders on Tapeta with a 22% win rate, while Rafael Hernandez has a 20% strike rate in stakes races.