|
About Catherine Day Phillips
|
Catherine Day Phillips is a Canadian based Thoroughbred Racehorse Trainer. She started training in 1994 with the support of her maternal Grandmother Mrs C.F.W. Burns. Today she runs the operation with her husband Todd Phillips. They have 25 stalls at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack, a farm just north of Toronto, and a new 28-stall barn on a racetrack in Ocala, Florida, the framework is in place for horses to thrive.
"We’re an intense, small operation with very, very high attention to quality and detail," Day Phillips said. "We have a keen interest in buying and developing young horses. We are constantly trying to improve the quality of our stock."
"We are involved in many aspects of the racing industry, we have our own breeding and racing operation. Our client owned horses make up about 75 percent of our stable. We have been involved in Syndicates, and we are in the process of forming a new racing partnership. We are fortunate to have had exposure to the industry from many different angles."
|
 Racing History
|
1994 first winner.... Gentleman Artist
In 1998, VOBISCUM, a Burns family homebred, was the first Stakes horse developed by Day Phillips. The speedy bay produced a brave victory in the DETROIT BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT for three year olds.
1999 was a very important year.... Catherine Day and Todd Phillips were married, and the Ten Goal Racing Syndicate was formed.
2000 was the year of HEAT IT UP. The Dixieland Heat filly was bought by Day Phillips for $6,000 at the 1998 Fasig Tipton Fall Yearling Sales. As a three year old, HEAT IT UP won the DUTCHESS STAKES (GIII) at Woodbine, defeating Cedar Knolls and Plenty of Light. In the fall, the pretty brown filly won the LA LARGNETTE STAKES.
In 2002, The Two Bit Racing Syndicate was formed. A BIT O’GOLD ($60,000) and CROWN COUNCEL ($32,000) were both purchased at the 2002 Canadian Select Yearling Sale. Kingfield homebred, BRAVELY, ran a cracker of a race to be runner up in the $500,000 PRINCE OF WALES STAKES. Blake Phillips was born!
2003 summer was highlighted by back to back Stake’s wins at Fort Erie. GERAINT, another Kingfield Homebred, won in Fort Erie’s $60,000 BENBURB STAKES and Agolo won the $60,000 BORDER CUP STAKES. That was a prelude to a spectacular fall with Stakes wins by WINTER WHISKEY and A BIT O’GOLD. WINTER WHISKEY, owned by the original Ten Goal Stable won the SWYNFORD STAKES and the FROST KING STAKES. A BIT O’GOLD, owned by the newly formed Two Bit Racing Stable, won the important $250,000 CORONATION STAKES. Both two year olds were among the Winter Book favorites for the 2004 $1,000,000 Queen’s Plate.
|
In 2004, Day Phillips just missed winning the Canadian Triple Crown with A
BIT O’GOLD. He lost the Queen’s Plate by a diminishing 3/4-length and then secured the next two legs. A BIT O’GOLD finished off his three year old season with a victory in the ONTARIO DERBY, and subsequently the strapping chestnut was named THREE YEAR OLD OF THE YEAR IN CANADA. Colton Phillips was born!
2005 was a phenomenal year for the Day Phillips’ Stable. A BIT O’GOLD was victorious in the DOMINION DAY STAKES, SKY CLASSIC STAKES, CHINESE CULTURAL STAKES, earning him a shot in the BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC. Sadly, due to an injury sustained in the Breeders’ Cup, this was to be his last race. A Bit O’Gold was awarded HORSE OF THE YEAR, OLDER HORSE OF THE YEAR and TURF HORSE OF THE YEAR IN CANADA.
While A BIT O’GOLD was center stage, a powerful three year old began making some noise of his own. JAMBALAYA, bought by Day Phillips for $2,500 as a yearling, won the $500,000 Breeders Stakes at Woodbine by 8 lengths and then went on to Saratoga to win the SARANAC STAKES(GIII.) JAMBALAYA was named runner up Turf Horse of the Year to A BIT O’GOLD.
While the Stable appeared to have a King and Prince, soon a Princess came along in the form of three year old filly INVITATIONAL. The Kingview Farms/Cudney Stables hombred was victorious in the CAROTENE STAKES in the fall of 2005.
2006 was a rather quiet year, the Stable’s lone stakes win came in the memorable SINGSPIEL STAKES. JAMBALAYA turned in a gutsy performance to win the 1 1/2 turf event. In the fall, a close second to subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Better Talk Now, hinted at better things to come....
The 2007 winter meet at Gulfstream was the crowning of JAMBALAYA. A third place finish in the CANADIAN TURF HANDICAP (GIII) was followed by a win in the GULFSTREAM PARK BREEDERS’ CUP TURF (GI) and a win in the BULLEIT BOURBON PAN AMERICAN HANDICAP(GIII.) JAMBALAYA received a little break following his winter campaign, he returned to his home base at Woodbine in the summer of 2007 to produce two third place finishes. It was when he returned to the States, in August , that he produced his most spectacular victory of all..... the 25th running of the ARLINGTON MILLION (GI.)
|
In 2008 all eyes were on two year filly, VAN LEAR ROSE. The beautiful dark bay broke her maiden in the CTHS Yearling Sales Stakes. The Kingview Farms Homebred followed up her victory in the MUSKOKA STAKES with a victory in the MAZARINE STAKES(GIII.) With Van Lear Rose’s impressive victory at 1 1/16, the decision was made to send her to California for the BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES. The daughter of Stroll ran a very respectable race to finish 6th, and she was then named TWO YEAR FILLY OF THE YEAR IN CANADA for 2008.
|
|
Family Life
|
Day Phillips married Todd Phillips in 1999, and they have two sons, Blake and Colton. It’s a balancing act that Day Phillips faces with her husband and the help of her experienced loyal crew. At home, Dorothy Forrest and Nadia Jordine are instrumental in helping with the children.
|
Day Phillips’ Mother trained horses, and her Father was once the trainer for the powerful Sam Son Farms. For Catherine Day Phillips, it was a natural progression to the racetrack. Following family tradition, Day Phillips competed in the show ring from a very early age and through her teenage years before going to college.
A graduate of St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, Day Phillips worked for her father, James Day, when he trained for Sam Son Farms. Home of the Sam Son stars during that era were Dance Smartly, Hangin on a Star, Regal Classic, Regal Intention and Sky Classic. Day Phillips’ mother, Dinny Day, was also a successful trainer, sending out Pax Nobiscum to win the Ohio Derby in 1983.
"With my father being an equestrian gold medalist in the 1968 Olympics, and a top International Thoroughbred Trainer, I’ve always had high standards to follow and I’ve always been exposed to a high quality of racing," Day Phillips said. "I try to learn from each aspect of the horse world that I’ve been exposed to, I am constantly trying to learn what makes each horse tick."
|
|
|
|
|
