Dixie Moon bounces back with Carotene Stakes win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon was thought to be in heat when she came up empty in the Sept. 29 Ontario Damsel Stakes, and she rebounded nicely with a determined score in Saturday’s $125,000 Carotene Stakes at Woodbine.

The favored Avie’s Mineshaft was the surprising leader in the nine-furlong turf route for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies. Dixie Moon pressed the pace and then wore down Avie’s Mineshaft in the final furlong to prevail by a half-length in 1:48.31 over the firm ground.

Line of Vision rallied for third, and Desert Isle beat out Bear Paw for fourth. Zestina was scratched.

Eurico Da Silva rode Dixie Moon for trainer Catherine Day Phillips, who added blinkers to the daughter of Curlin’s equipment.

“From the beginning to the end, she was very focused,” Da Silva said. “She’s a wonderful horse. She’s in the right hands.”

Dixie Moon ($7.50) earned $75,000 for owners Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry.

“It was Eurico’s decision to [put the blinkers on],” Day Phillips said. “She worked very well last week without them, and Eurico pulled up and said, ‘She needs the blinkers on, boss’ So, we tried them, and they worked.”