Maker looking to continue Woodbine success with Da Big Hoss in International
TORONTO — Woodbine Racetrack has been very good to trainer Mike Maker.
The 47-year-old native of Garden City, Mich., has registered six stakes victories at the track, including this year’s Queen’s Plate with Sir Dudley Digges. Maker will look for another Oct. 16 when he sends a streaking Da Big Hoss postward in the $1-million Pattison Canadian International.
The five-year-old comes in having won his last four events and is expected to be the early favourite for the 1 1/2-mile turf race. Since being claimed by Maker for US$50,000 in June 2015, Da Big Hoss has won eight-of-11 starts for new owners Skychai Racing LLC, including five graded competitions.
“He still looked good on form,” Maker said. “We went in thinking that we’d get a high-priced claimer with the idea of stretching him out and see how it went.