Fashionably Fab romps in Ashbridges Bay

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Fashionably Fab blew away the field in the $100,000 Ashbridges Bay Stakes and Jim’s Hope notched his first stakes in the $100,000 Lake Ontario on Friday at Woodbine.

With Patrick Husbands aboard, Fashionably Fab tracked pacesetter Seattle Causeway through moderate fractions in the 1 1/16-mile Ashbridges Bay before drawing off for a 6 1/2-length score, in a time of 1:44.34.

Favored Tito’s Calling edged out Seattle Causeway for second in the six-horse field of Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Fashionably Fab ($5.60) banked $60,000 for Terra Racing Stable. The homebred daughter of Silent Name has now won four stakes on three different surfaces.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“We didn’t know about the mile and sixteenth, but we thought she could get it,” said co-owner Mark Romeo. “Patrick was confident, but we didn’t think she was going to open up like that. I thought Tito’s Calling would come charging.”

Jim’s Hope ($14.80) graduated in his 12th start on Sept. 3 and became a stakes winner just three races later in the 1 1/16-mile Lake Ontario for Ontario-sired male 3-year-olds.

With Sahin Civaci riding, Jim’s Hope came wide from a stalking position to assume command in the stretch and then held off the favored Rapid Test to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths, in a time of 1:45.25. Souped Up finished another neck back in third in the seven-horse field.

“I wasn’t given any instructions,” Civaci said. “The further he goes, the better he gets. In post parade, I had good confidence in him, and his body language just spoke out to me. He was really comfortable and he felt like a nice horse. I ended up in a really nice spot. He’s such a long-striding horse and I felt the pace was going a little slow, so I took him outside and let him stride out his legs under me, and he just finished up really well.”

By Ami’s Holiday, Jim’s Hope earned $60,000 for the partnership of trainer Paul Buttigieg and Jimmy Goodman.

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