Dixie Law holds off Katie's Grace in Wonder Where Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Dixie Law held off a charging Katie’s Grace in deep stretch to land Sunday’s $350,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara at Woodbine.

Dixie Law saved ground under Pietro Moran while vying for second with La Culasse on the backstretch as Cool Times set a quick pace on a substantial lead in the 1 1/4-mile main turf event.

Cool Times began to tire on the far turn and Dixie Law hit the front at the head of the stretch as Katie’s Grace was mounting a wide rally from fifth.

Katie’s Grace looked to be going best in midstretch, but Dixie Law dug through the final furlong to prevail by a neck, in a time of 2:04.01 over the good ground.

:: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

Pietro Moran rode Dixie Law for trainer Dale Desruisseaux, who has a meet-leading seven stakes victories to his credit.

“When (Katie’s Grace) first came up to me, (Dixie Law) was waiting a little, but she looked the other horse in the eye and (fought on),” Moran said.

Dixie Law ($5.50) was coming off back-to-back wide trips over the inside-favoring Tapeta, when second in the Woodbine Oaks and fourth in the King’s Plate. She broke her maiden on the main turf at 2 and subsequently took the restricted Cup and Saucer Stakes on the inner turf in October.

“I think ultimately, after this race, her preferred surface is the grass, but she’s very versatile,” Desruisseaux said. “She hasn’t missed a dance this year, so we went a little easy on her and backed off on her a little in between races and brought her into this race.”

A daughter of Tiz the Law, Dixie Law earned $210,000 for Garland Williamson’s Hillsbrook Farms.

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