Woodbine: Spring Venture transfers her winning form to Polytrack in Mazarine

Michael Burns

Now a stakes winner on turf and Polytrack, Spring Venture's connections will have to determine which of the 2-year-old filly Breeders' Cup races suit her best.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Strongly-favored Spring Venture remained unbeaten by winning her first start on Polytrack Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $201,000 Mazarine Stakes.

Shenandoah Lady set a moderate pace in the mile and a sixteenth route for 2-year-old fillies, while Spring Venture had a wide, stalking trip under Patrick Husbands. Spring Venture hit the front at the head of the stretch, and then gradually edged away en route to a 1 1/2-length score, in 1:46.74. Seaneen Girl barely outran the Chicago shipper Every Way for second in the six-horse field.

The Mark Casse-trained Spring Venture was coming off a victory on turf in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event. She is expected to make his next start in one of the BC races for juvenile fillies.

Said Husbands: “Everybody is looking towards the Breeders’ Cup, and I tried to give her an easy race today. She was so relaxed in the race, and by the half-mile, I squeezed her a little bit. At the top of the lane, she started to wait on them, but at the eighth pole, she got rolling again.”

Spring Venture ($2.80) banked $120,000 for the partnership of Stoneway Farm and Gary Barber.

* Lateegra ($21.60) held off a charging Part the Seas to notch her first stakes by a neck in Saturday’s supporting feature, the $150,000 Carotene Stakes.

With Slade Callaghan aboard, the Mike Doyle-trained Lateegra covered nine furlongs over firm turf in 1:48.80 in the race for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies.