6 days ago
D.J. Stable Runners Shifty, Winterberry Meet Again In Bison City Stakes
D.J. Stable Runners Shifty, Winterberry Meet Again In Bison City Stakes originally appeared on Paulick Report.
Shifty, and Winterberry, trained by dual hall of fame conditioner Mark Casse for D.J. Stable LLC, lock horns with four rivals in Saturday's $250,000 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine.A 1 1/16-mile main track event that follows the Woodbine Oaks as the second leg of the Triple Tiara for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, the Bison City has attracted a field of six, including Shifty and Winterberry.
Shifty sports a 2-1-2 mark ($224,879 in career purse earnings) from eight engagements, which includes her first stakes success, a 3 ¼-length score in the 2024 Catch A bay comes into the Bison City off a runner-up showing, as the 2-1 choice, to stablemate and King's Plate contender No Time, in the Woodbine Oaks, contested on July 20.'Shifty is such an honest, hard-trying filly,' said assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan. 'We were very pleased with her effort in the Oaks, going longer than she ever had.'
Shifty debuted over the E.P. Taylor turf on July 4, 2024, and showed late gumption after a slow start to finish fifth in a field of winning her 3-year-old debut on May 11, she was third in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, on June 7.'She came out of the Oaks doing great and we're hoping for another big effort on Saturday,' said Medaglia d'Oro out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Luci, Shifty was bred by Anderson Farm Ontario Inc. and sold for $350,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Grant is the groom.
Winterberry was third behind stablemates No Time and Shifty in the Woodbine Oaks.'She is another filly who always shows up and she has really matured,' praised Sullivan. 'She had a tough post to navigate in the Oaks, but she tried hard right to the wire.'The dark bay made a winning debut last August, a 5 ½-length triumph at 6 ½ panels over the Woodbine main track. Next time out, she was sixth in the Grade 1 Summer, at one mile on the E.P. Taylor rebounded with a three-quarter length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes on Oct. 13 and closed out her rookie campaign with a fifth in the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes on Nov. 23.
After a fifth in the Star Shoot Stakes on April 26 to launch her sophomore season, Winterberry was back on the winning track courtesy of a victory in the Fury Stakes.A daughter of Frosted out of the Bellamy Road mare Dreams Are Free, she brings a record of 3-0-1 ($204,451 in purse earnings) from seven races into the Bison City.'She's been training well and eating well – looking forward to seeing her hopefully run another big one on Saturday,' said Sullivan.'They are both very consistent fillies.'
Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc., Winterberry was a $210,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland Association September Yearling 'Billy' Forde is the groom.
The $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Tiara, is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf on Sept. 6 at W.R. Beasley won three of the first four editions of the Bison City: Silly Sara in 1954, Black Coyote in 1955, and Pink Velvet in 1957. Mark Casse has won a record seven runnings of the race, including last year with Stormcast. Jockey Patrick Husbands has also won the race on a record seven wagering menu for the Bison City includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, 0.20 Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10), and $1 post for Saturday is 1:05 p.m. ET. Fans can wager on all the action through and
$250,000 Bison City Stakes – Race 8
Shifty – Sahin Civaci – Mark Casse
Crystal Visions – Ryan Munger – Stuart Simon
Hibiscus – Pietro Moran – Josie Carroll
Innisfree Isle (S) – Fraser Aebly – Catherine Day Phillips
Winterberry – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
Aristella – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
