Wolfie’s Dynaghost Set to Return in Canadian Turf (G3)

Millionaire 8YO Season Opener Delayed by Ribcage Surgery

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Woodslane Racing’s millionaire homebred Wolfie’s Dynaghost, unexpectedly sidelined from a start in last month’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), will make his eagerly awaited return in Saturday’s $175,000 Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 60th running of the Canadian Turf for older horses scheduled at 1 1/16 miles on the grass is the second of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.025 million in purses on a blockbuster program anchored by the $425,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Post time for the first of 14 races is 11:30 a.m. ET.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost is a 14-time winner of more than $1.35 million in purses that continues to thrive at the age of 8. He has won three consecutive races including back-to-back graded-stakes since joining trainer Brian Lynch’s stable in Kentucky last fall. Both wins came in front-running fashion, the most recent a three-quarter-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale (G3) Dec. 20, Gulfstream’s local prep for the Pegasus Turf.

Matching a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101, Wolfie’s Dynaghost won the Fort Lauderdale in a track-record 1:43.42 while carrying topweight of 126 pounds, more than a second faster than the previous mark of 1:44.45 set by Irish-bred mare Warm Heart winning the 2024 Pegasus Turf with an 118-pound impost. Equibase statistics indicated the time was also a North American record for 1 1/8 miles on the grass, surpassing 5-year-old Kostroma’s 1:43.92 established Oct. 20, 1991 at Santa Anita Park. The Irish-bred carried 117 pounds that day.

Lynch targeted the Pegasus Turf with much enthusiasm, but an issue that his team had been monitoring became the top priority.

“We lost a month with him. We had to do a bit of surgery on his ribcage. He developed a growth,” Lynch said. “It started off like a spot and just continued to get bigger and bigger, so it was something we needed to address. It was bad timing because he seemed to be right on going into the Pegasus, unfortunately, but he’s healthy. We got it removed at Rood and Riddle and the surgery was a complete success. He’s come back great, so this will sort of kick him off for a bit of a spring-summer campaign.”

Wolfie’s Dynaghost returned to the work tab Feb. 8 and has breezed twice since for his return, most recently going five furlongs in 59.15 seconds Feb. 22 over the turf course at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County – the fastest of 23 horses.

“He had a quiet month of training after we had that removed,” Lynch said. “You always worry is he OK with a couple of light works coming into it but we let him work [Sunday] and let him run along a little bit and let him tell us where he’s at, and I thought he was sensational. It looks like he’ll be lone speed in the race and he could be very, very dangerous.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., up in the Fort Lauderdale, returns to ride the even-money program favorite from Post 7 of eight at co-topweight of 125 pounds.

“He’s a lovely, lovely horse. He’s been well-managed his whole life,” Lynch said. “I’m fortunate to catch him on a good wave. I’ll try and ride it out with him.”

JSM Equine’s Beach Gold ran third to Wolfie’s Dynaghost in the Fort Lauderdale, beaten three lengths, then disappointed in the Pegasus Turf, finishing 10th. It was just the second time in eight tries on the grass at Gulfstream that the 5-year-old had run worse than third.

After needing nine tries to break his maiden, which happened last March at Gulfstream, Beach Gold has placed twice in Grade 3 stakes and put together a three-race win streak last spring and summer capped by a 22-1 upset in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Mile at Ellis Park.

“To be honest with you he’s working better now than he was coming into the last race,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “These horses are all the same. They all run all together all the time and the one that gets the trip wins the race. He’s in top form. He’s not going to run 10 points better than he did before but he’s not going to run 10 points lower, either. I think if he can repeat his [Fort Lauderdale] race he can win again.”

David Egan is named on Beach Gold (5-1 ML) from Post 3.

Among the competition are a pair of Grade 1 winners in Fort Washington and Win for the Money. Magic Cap Stables’ millionaire Fort Washington (Post 8, 4-1) is a four-time graded-stakes winner for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, highlighted by last summer’s Arlington Million (G1). He was sixth, beaten 2 ? lengths, in the Pegasus Turf.

Live Oak Plantation’s Win for the Money (Post 6, 10-1) has raced twice since his victory in last fall’s Woodbine Mile (G1), running second by a half-length in a Dec. 27 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream and third in the Tampa Bay (G3) Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay Downs, both going 1 1/16 miles, the latter pushing him over the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Also entered are 2024 River City (G3) winner Battle of Normandy (Post 1, 6-1), 2025 Hill Prince (G3) winner Tiz Dashing (Post 4, 12-1), 2025 Saranac winner Stars and Strides (Post 5, 15-1) and Westside Tide (Post 2, 30-1), making his stakes debut.