Woodbine will run the Nassau Stakes (G2) on Saturday, July 24. The race is one of the most exciting horse races of the summer in Canada. The turf mile, open to fillies and mares aged four and up, offers a purse of $175,000, plus another $35,000 in bonuses for Ontario-bred horses. The 2021 edition of the Nassau should be one of the best ever. Let’s have a look at the betting picks.
Betting on the 2021 Nassau Stakes
Woodbine will run the Nassau Stakes (G2) on Saturday, July 24. The race is one of the most exciting horse races of the summer in Canada. The turf mile, open to fillies and mares aged four and up, offers a purse of $175,000, plus another $35,000 in bonuses for Ontario-bred horses.
The 2021 edition of the Nassau should be one of the best ever. It drew a competitive field of twelve including G1 winners Abscond and Jolie Olimpica, last-out Chicago Stakes (G3) winner Abby Hatcher, and 2020 Wonder Where winner, the Ontario-bred star Merveilleux.
Woodbine Racetrack is allowing fans in the stands again as of July, though only at 25% capacity. If you cannot make it to the races on Saturday, you can still enjoy this great wagering race by betting the Nassau Stakes online at one of the top Canadian sportsbooks!
Nassau Stakes Horses
The 2021 Nassau field, with Nassau trainers and jockeys as well as official morning lines, is as follows:
- Abby Hatcher – Anna Meah/Kazushi Kimura (10/1)
- Another Time – Barbara Minshall/David Moran (6/1)
- Tappitty Tappitty – Mark Casse/Patrick Husbands (15/1)
- Saratoga Vision – Alexander Patykewich/Jeffrey Alderson (20/1)
- Abscond – Eddie Kenneally/Justin Stein (4/1)
- Our Secret Agent – Mark Casse/Emma-Jayne Wilson (8/1)
- Crystal Glacier – Mark Casse/Shaun Bridgmohan (8/1)
- Sunset Kiss – J. Kent Sweezey/Gary Boulanger (20/1)
- Honey Cake – Jonathan Thomas/Antonio Gallardo (10/1)
- Jolie Olimpica – Josie Carroll/Luis Contreras (5/2)
- Royal Wedding – Nathan Squires/Simon Husbands (20/1)
- Merveilleux – Kevin Attard/Rafael Hernandez (15/1)
Note that these are the morning line odds, not the final odds. They are subject to change before post time. However, if you sign up for a trusted online sportsbook, you can track the odds and lock them in when they are most appealing to you, just like you can at a Vegas casino or racebook. Best of all, you can do it from the comfort and convenience of your own home!
| Horse |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jolie Olimpica | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Abscond | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| Another Time | 7.00 | 7.00 | 7.00 |
| Our Secret Agent | 9.00 | 9.00 | 9.00 |
| Crystal Glacier | 9.00 | 9.00 | 9.00 |
Nassau Stakes History
The Nassau Stakes has been run since 1956. It began on the dirt, though was moved to the grass in 1968 and has been carded for the turf ever since. Though it was run at a mile and a sixteenth through most of its history on the turf, it was shortened up to a flat mile in 2010 and has been run at that distance ever since.
One of its earliest winners, in 1960, was Wonder Where. She was the 1959 Canadian Horse of the Year and is now the namesake for the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara. The best recent winners of the race include Lexie Lou (2016), the 2014 Canadian Horse of the Year, and Starship Jubilee (2017), a three-time Canadian champion female turf horse (2017-2019) and the 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year.
Nassau Stakes Handicapping
With rain likely for Saturday in Toronto, it makes sense to look for some horses who have some ability when the turf is less than firm. And, that discussion begins with Abscond. She is already a Grade 1 winner over yielding Woodbine turf. Though that was two years ago, she is still holding her own against good horses. Two starts back she was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Distaff Turf Mile, a tougher G2 than this.
Abscond has the ability to run a good race in multiple race shapes: on the lead, near it, or rallying from midpack. It is a concern that she has not won since the Natalma two years ago, but she has held her own in-stakes company enough to show that she has progressed, and this will be her first start over the one-turn Woodbine mile since that Natalma win.
Abscond coming from just off the pace is the more likely scenario, with Jolie Olimpica on the stretch out. She is a two-time graded stakes winner in California going short but has been able to stretch out effectively to a mile as well. She set the pace before running second to top-class Rushing Fall in the one-mile Jenny Wiley (G1) last year, and she won the Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasiliero (G1) going a mile over the heavy ground.
Though other horses like Another Time, Our Secret Agent, and Crystal Glacier have all shown some early speed, with Our Secret Agent showing it in some maiden sprints earlier in her career, there is a good chance they all get outjumped by Jolie Olimpica, and like everyone else will have to try to reel her in down the lane.
Among those, Another Time is the most interesting. She steps up from an allowance victory going seven and a half furlongs on the inner Woodbine turf. She is a three-time winner in five tries at the mile, and last year she missed by only a neck in this race to the very talented Elizabeth Way. So, the extra distance and the move to the outer-track mile suit well.
Nassau Stakes Longshots
Honey Cake makes her North American debut for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Though she has not raced since November in France, Thomas shines with both layoff horses and overseas shippers. She has three wins over soft ground, so the rain should not be an issue. And, though she has yet to win going longer than seven and a half furlongs, the one-turn configuration should be an asset.
The rail in a large field can be challenging, but if she can handle that, Abby Hatcher also has a good upset chance. The one-turn mile should suit her well: she won over a one-turn seven furlongs at Arlington last out, and even though that was synthetic, she is a turf winner as well. She is a tractable horse with a smart local rider in Kazushi Kimura, and she’ll be an appealing price.
Betting the Nassau Online
If you will not be able to get to Woodbine Racetrack for the Nassau, you can still bet the best odds from the comfort and safety of the home! Set up an online betting account with one of the best Canadian sportsbooks.
These sportsbooks have been chosen specifically for their trusted deposit and cash-out options, easy user interfaces, and excellent odds. They also offer excellent player incentives such as deposit bonuses, horse racing rebates, and even benefits for wagering with cryptocurrency.
Our sportsbook reviews will help you find the sportsbook with the best bonuses for the way you bet. Sign up, and then be ready to bet the 2021 Nassau Stakes with confidence!
Expert Nassau Picks
Once you have signed up for your betting account, here are the best bets for the 2021 Nassau Stakes!
- $10 to win – #5 Abscond
- $5 to win/place/show – #9 Honey Cake
- $1 exacta box – #5 Abscond, #10 Jolie Olimpica, #9 Honey Cake
- $0.50 trifecta box – #5 Abscond, #10 Jolie Olimpica, #9 Honey Cake, #1 Abby Hatcher
- $0.20 superfecta box – #5 Abscond, #10 Jolie Olimpica, #9 Honey Cake, #1 Abby Hatcher, #2 Another Time
