Brooklynsway scores in Muskoka Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Owner/trainer John Ross won last year’s Muskoka Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by disqualification with future Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou. He won this year’s edition of the Muskoka outright on Wednesday night at Woodbine with Brooklynsway, who rallied along the inside under Emma-Jayne Wilson to score by 1 1/4 lengths over Quidi Vidi.

Brooklynsway ($14.20) covered the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:17.73 and banked $120,000 of the $200,800 purse in her first victory.

“She was stakes-placed twice, and now she’s a stakes winner,” Ross said. “I’m just delighted. Hopefully, she’s on the same path as Lexie Lou.”

There were five other stakes on the card for graduates of local yearling sales.

Phil’s Cocktail captured the $201,200 Simcoe, for male juveniles, by 2 1/2 lengths over Entwistle, completing 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.78. It was the second win of the night for jockey David Moran, who got a leg up from trainer John LeBlanc Jr.

Luis Contreras won two of the four $125,000 yearling sales stakes for older runners with Hampstead Heath in the Halton and Pender Harbour in the Elgin.

The favored Hampstead Heath ($6.10) overcame a troubled run to take the Halton by 1 1/4 lengths over pacesetter Blessed One. The Brian Lynch-trained 5-year-old ran a mile on firm turf in 1:33.88.

Pender Harbour ($2.80) came from off a sleepy pace in the Elgin to prevail by a length over Power Phil. The Mike De Paulo-trained millionaire got the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.82.

Moran guided I’m a Kittyhawk ($15.80) to a one-length tally over Skylander Girl in the Algoma. She ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.19 in the race for fillies and mares.

Black Hornet ($6.20) flirted with the six-furlong track record in his front-running, 3 1/2-length score over Bear No Joke in the $125,000 Kenora. Justin Stein rode the Pat Parente-trained Black Hornet, who ran the distance in 1:08.78, which was 0.62 seconds off the record.