World Cup soccer world class horse racing

By Steve Buffery

The Woodbine season is only about two months old, but veteran trainer Bill Tharrenos has already enjoyed a number of highlights at the track this year.

For one thing, the Etobicoke native has already posted 13 victories at the Rexdale oval in 49 starts (tied for second overall in trainer wins), and 15 triumphs overall in 2026 if you add two scores at Gulfstream Park in Florida.

But another highlight came this past Saturday when he had a very special visitor at his office at the Woodbine backstretch. Fresh off his spectacular goal at the FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, Canadian soccer star Cyle Larin dropped by Woodbine the next morning to see his dad, Robert Boreland, known around the track as 'Apprentice'.

“We were all excited when Cyle scored the goal at the World Cup (helping Canada to secure a 1-1 draw and earn the nation’s first ever point at a World Cup),” said Tharrenos. “And the next morning, where do you think Cyle was? Right here in this office. He was here Saturday morning.”

The fact that Cyle’s father is an owner at Woodbine is no great secret to the folks in the backstretch. Boreland is basically a track lifer, working in all aspects of the business before becoming an owner with his Royal Strike Stables. Old-timers remember Cyle as a kid kicking the soccer around the backstretch.

“Apprentice is a very good friend of mine,” said Tharrenos. “I’ve known him for probably 30 years. We have four horses together here today and I think everything is going as smoothly as can be.”

Tharrenos said he is training what he believes are a couple of very good two-year-olds for Boreland.

“He has a baby called Northern King, a very good horse,” said Tharrenos.

An Ontario-bred bay colt, Northern King’s sire, Keen Ice, won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in 2015 and earned a career $3,407,245 US.

“And the day of the (Canada-Bosnia) game, we had a horse called Good Sin race, and he finished fourth at Woodbine,” added Tharrenos.

Good Sin, a five-year-old gelding, had won five races with a second and three thirds leading into the 2026 season.

Tharrenos said the workers clap and cheer when Cyle walks around the backstretch, especially following his big goal on Friday.

“This is like home to him,” said Tharrenos. “It’s a great feeling.”

A spry 63, Tharrenos said it’s still a huge kick coming to the track when he arrives around 3:30 am, seven days a week. And, of course, what makes that feeling even better is success. Last year, Tharrenos posted 28 victories at Woodbine, including three stakes wins for two-year-olds - Zabarta in the South Ocean Stakes, Silver Is Best in the Bull Page Stakes and Big Bold and First in the Simcoe Stakes. The 2024 season was the best ever at Woodbine for Tharrenos as he recorded a career-high 43 wins. Needless to say, the personable conditioner is hoping to keep that momentum going.

Much like Boreland, Tharrenos did a bit of everything when he started off at the track – groom, exercise rider – before getting his trainer’s license in 2005. He’s enjoyed a very steady career since, recording 437 victories in 3,249 career starts for total earnings of $11,552,010 US. And while Tharrenos acknowledges that horse racing is a very tough business, he wouldn’t do anything else – though he did very well in the automotive business for years before deciding to focus full-time on horse racing full-time following the 9/11 attacks when the car industry hit tough times.

“Slowly we built it up and here we are today,” he said, sitting inside his office at barn 34 at Woodbine.

“We never had any big, big owners that play in the high end of the game, but whatever success we’ve had, I have to be thankful to my owners that I have today because we never had a Sam-Son Farm or a big outfit like that,” said Tharrenos, who counts his former filly Tree Pose, owned by the renowned Six Brothers Stable, winning the 2010 Nandi Stakes as one of his career highlights. It was his first-ever Stakes win. A picture of the Old Forester filly standing in the Winner’s Circle sits prominently in Tharrenos’ office.

“You love them all,” he said of his charges. “Everyone of them will look at you differently. There’s a place for everybody.”

Tharrenos currently has 48 horses in his barn, the most ever. He’s also enjoyed great success at Gulfstream over the years and is hoping to race in New York as well this season.

“I don’t really set goals (heading into a season),” he said, adding that promising two-year-olds get him extra excited. ““The babies are where your success is and it’s always nice to get a good one. I think I have a couple of good ones (this year). I have a couple of real special ones.”

Including the Ron Clarkson and Debra Ehrat bred Vivian C and the John Carey-bred colt Souper Survivor, both sired by Souper Speedy, who won the Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park.

“And Motion N Mischief is a very special horse. A very big individual,” said Tharrenos.

“I respect the horse,” said Tharrenos, when asked about the key to success. “I think I know what they’re worth and where they belong in a race. And what I thrive on more than anything in the world is going to the CTHS Yearling Sales and purchasing horses and we’ve been very successful at it. We’ve won a number of Yearling Sales Stakes.

“But I’m just thankful for the people that are with me, and the owners and partners,” Tharrenos added. “The business changes daily. Hourly. You have to keep focused. This is not a place to wear short pants. There’s no secret. You have to keep focussed and you have to understand, things are going to be good and things are going to be bad. It’s how you handle the bad. And you have to appreciate the good because there’s more bad than good. But there’s no better feeling than standing in the Winner’s Circle and cheering your horse down the stretch.”