Boardroom catches the speed in Whimsical Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Boardroom mowed down the speed on the outside under Luis Contreras to win Saturday’s Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes for fillies and mares at Woodbine.
The six-furlong event included a three-way pace war between Golden Ami, Summer Sunday, and the favored reigning Canadian champion female sprinter Artie’s Princess.
Boardroom tracked the leaders from a four-wide position on the turn, and then took control early in the stretch before holding off a charging Our Secret Agent to win by a neck in a time of 1:08.35.
Amalfi Coast finished third, and was followed by Golden Ami, Artie’s Princess, and Summer Sunday.
“Everything worked perfect,” Contreras said. “She’s so amazing. She’s been improving.”
A 4-year-old daughter of Commissioner, Boardroom returned $5.70 and earned $90,000 of the $156,000 purse for LNJ Foxwoods and trainer Josie Carroll.
“I think she’s a really special filly,” Carroll said. “The race set up beautifully for her. Luis sat perfectly just off of them. The filly proved what she is.”
Can't Buy Love wins Star Shoot
Can’t Buy Love ($27.30) came on strongly from the back of the pack to notch her first stakes triumph in Saturday’s $125,250 Star Shoot under Justin Stein.
Can’t Buy Love was supplemented to the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies by trainer Mike Trombetta, who claimed her for $75,000 at Gulfstream in February. The daughter of Twirling Candy banked $75,000 for owner R. Larry Johnson.
Can’t Buy Love split rivals late on the turn and then outfinished Dirty Dangle and California Lily in deep stretch to prevail by three-quarters of a length, in a time of 1:09.47.
“It set up the way it looked on paper for her,” Stein said. “It worked out. The favorite actually broke bad to the outside. I had the chance to make that horse do a little extra early. She just settled into stride and waited for her cue. She was surging at those horses. She wanted to win.”
Dirty Dangle nosed out California Lily for second. Sweet Souper Sweet wound up fourth, while the favored Drunk Dial faded to seventh after dueling for the lead in the eight-horse race.