Racing returns to Woodbine: Hoyte rides first winner, Vives aboard five winners

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He may have been Woodbine’s leading rider for just 35 minutes, but we’ll hear more from Jason Hoyte.

Hoyte opened the track’s 69th season of racing by giving Hobbie Class a flying start out of the gate and an easy win in the opening race, a modest maiden claimer.

“It’s great to get the first win of the season,” Hoyte said. “We’ll just keep it going.”

When Hoyte returned to the winner’s circle after riding the Tedston Holder trainee, he was greeted by several dignitaries including Ontario premier Doug Ford and Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, both at the track to celebrate a Woodbine community initiative. Before getting the next few races off, Hoyte, a winner of 20 races last season, outlined his goal for the season.

“I want to be in the top 10,” Hoyte said. “But this is a tough jockey colony so we’ll hope for the best.”

A modest crowd on track greeted the throroughbreds, who had to encounter some rain to start off.

The rest of the afternoon card belonged to Sofia Vives, who won the next three races aboard Summer Snow, Birthday Munnings, and Rock to Fame and later won aboard Lady Onyx.

But her biggest win of the day came in the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes when she pounced on a weakening speed duel to win aboard Sabatini at odds of 15-1. It was her first career stakes win.

The Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s top apprentice jockey and a finalist for the North American Eclipse Award, Vives will be looking to pile on more winners before losing her five-pound apprentice allowance later this season.

“We were excited to get back on track,” Vives said. “Me and my team were working hard all winter and we were ready to rock it, and we did.”

Sabatini, a Josie Carroll-trained three-year-old filly was just making her second start after debuting at Turfway Park in March.

“I could feel at the three-eights pole that I had a lot in the tank and just had to find an open spot,” Vives said. “It all worked great for us.”

Sahin Civaci, second to Kasushi Kimura in the jockey standings in 2023, also had a hat trick, winning with Essex Serpent and Miss Vyvyanne during the card and Clarayouhebest to close the first of 129 race cards this season. Patrick Husbands was the only other winner on the program, scoring on Star Candy.

Racing continues Sunday with three-year-old colts contesting the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes.