Brindi tops Danner-trained exacta in Star Shoot Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kelsey Danner stole the show in Saturday’s opening day feature at Woodbine, sending out the top two finishers in the $125,500 Star Shoot Stakes, in Turfway shippers Brindi and Listen and Learn.

Brindi dueled up front with the favored Winterberry in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies and then drew clear in the stretch to score by 1 3/4 lengths, in a time of 1:10.75.

Listen and Learn rallied outside from fifth to edge out Social Code for second. Charlotte’s Heart was another head back in fourth, ahead of a fading Winterberry and Salt.

Sofia Vives rode Brindi and the two-time Sovereign Award-winning apprentice also won last year’s Star Shoot on Sabatini.

“The filly broke sharp,” Vives said. “With the way the weather is, speed’s carrying, so you put her up there. We had a tough horse to beat, but she proved today that she’s a better one. She fought on at the quarter pole. I still had plenty of horse. She was just changing gears. I was really confident with her from the start. When someone like Kelsey ships in, be ready that they’re going to be pretty tough to beat.”

Coming off a fourth-place finish in the March 29 Serena’s Song Stakes, Brindi earned $75,000 in her first stakes victory. The daughter of No Nay Never paid $10.60 to win and the all-Danner exacta returned $49.30.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.