October 16, 2023
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Déjà vu
On September 16, Eternal Hope (IRE) bested Neecie Marie to take home the $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3) at Belmont.
The duo met again at Belmont nearly one month later for the 26th running of the Sands Point Stakes (G2) and nothing changed. Ending in almost the exact same circumstances as last time, Eternal Hope (3-2), once again, held off Neecie Marie (10-1) in a dramatic stretch run to secure the $200,000 contest.
It’s only fitting that the foes have gotten off to eerily similar starts to their young careers. In seven contests, Eternal Hope is 4-0-2, while Neecie Marie is 4-2-0 from eight.
So, in other words, play an exacta when these two square off. A $2 7-5 exacta here paid $41.80.
Welcome to the Club
After coming so close in her previous three tries, Millie Girl can finally add “stakes winner” to her 9-race resume.
The 5-year-old mare benefitted from a late surge to slide past the competition and capture the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (G3) at Woodbine on Saturday afternoon.
It seemed to be only a matter of time before Millie Girl (4-1) chased down the elusive title she’s been in striking distance of since June. Her first two shots at stakes glory, the Royal North (G2) and Nassau (G2), both resulted in third place finishes, while a second in last month’s Seaway (G3) was the closest she had been prior to last weekend.
The first stakes victory of her career paid $10.70.
All Treat no Trick
Spun Glass always makes the most of her trips to Woodbine. Case in point: after winning her Woodbine debut on October 31, 2020, the 6-year-old mare scored the $150,000 Ontario Fashion Stakes in her return to Woodbine at 27-1 on October 14.
The well-travelled competitor hung around throughout before bursting through the middle in the stretch to claim the first graded stakes victory of her career. Heading into the affair, all the talk was about Hazelbrook (14-1), who was looking to become the race’s first repeat winner since Atlantic Hurricane in 2012.
Our Flash Drive, the opening and closing line favourite, finished seventh. What’s more, Awesome Treat finished second at 38-1, meaning a $2 4-10 exacta would have returned $1,059.20!
For the win, Spun Glass paid $57.20
Cruisin’ from Coast to Coast
Coastal Mission just keeps getting the job done.
The gelding extended his win streak to six this past Saturday with a comfortable 5 ¾-length triumph in the $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic at Charles Town Races. The career-headlining win was also Coastal Mission’s tenth in his last 12 starts dating back to February last year.
Knowing all this, it’s no surprise the 4-year-old closed as the 1-5 favourite, returning $2.40 on a $2 bet. Despite being the heavy favourite, the wire-to-wire victory was still very impressive considering the stiff test he faced from West Virginia’s reigning horse of the year Muad’dib (4-1).
Overall, Coastal Mission is a stellar 11-3-1 in 16 starts.
Tony Time
Kentucky’s own Tony Ann shocked the crowd this Sunday at Keeneland with a momentous victory in the $300,000 Franklin Stakes (G2T).
At 7-1, the mare wasn’t anywhere near the longest shot on the board, but she was able to do what nobody else thought could be done: beat 3-5 favourite Caravel. Coming into the contest as a multiple Grade 1 stakes winner, Caravel was a perfect 3-for-3 at Keeneland, including wins in last year’s Franklin and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
For pulling off the unexpected score, Tony Ann improved her career line to a very respectable 5-1-3 and returned a healthy $17.60 for a $2 win wager.