Dixie Moon holds off Wonder Gadot in Woodbine Oaks

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dixie Moon held off the 1-5 favorite Wonder Gadot in deep stretch to win the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks by a head at Woodbine on Saturday.

With jockey Eurico Da Silva in the saddle, Dixie Moon ($8.60) stalked early pacesetter Fairy Hill through slow opening fractions. Wonder Gadot, meanwhile, hopped at the start and was pinched back in the early strides, spotting Fairy Hill four lengths in the early going.

While Dixie Moon continued to track Fairy Hill in second through splits of 25.16 seconds for the opening quarter and 50.27 seconds for the opening half-mile, Wonder Gadot advanced her position from last in the three-wide path on the backstretch, and sat third heading into the far turn.

Dixie Moon took control of the race on the turn, while Wonder Gadot began her bid for the lead. The two continued to battle down the stretch, and it was Dixie Moon who reached the wire first in 1:50.37 for 1 1/8-miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta. The final time was 0.03 seconds faster than the Plate Trial two races earlier.

“That was a crazy stretch run,” said winning trainer Catherine Day Phillips, who won her second career Woodbine Oaks after previously winning the race with Neshama in 2016. “She had a lovely trip. Eurico had her in a good position. She just gave it all today.”

Day Phillips was noncommittal when asked whether Dixie Moon would proceed on to the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30.

Da Silva also recorded his second Woodbine Oaks win. He had combined with Day Phillips for Neshama’s victory two years ago.

“I was sitting in a great position and the pace was not that fast,” Da Silva said. “I pushed her a little bit early because I knew she was going to have a good finish. In my mind, I know [Wonder Gadot] is going to come. Both horses ran fabulous races. They put on a great show, these two horses.”

It was a first Woodbine Oaks win for owner-breeders Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. Day Phillips and the Fitzhenry’s won last year’s Plate Trial Stakes with Guy Caballero, Dixie Moon’s older half-brother.

Dixie Moon improved her career record to four wins from eight starts. She banked $300,000 in the victory to bring her career earnings to $654,800.