Holy Bubbette wins Woodbine's Whimsical

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Florida shipper Holy Bubbette set sail on a clear lead and never looked back to capture Sunday's $139,000 Whimsical Stakes for fillies and mares at Woodbine.

Holy Bubbette took a ton of late money in the six-furlong dash, going from 9-5 when she entered the gate to even-money favorite during the race. She recorded moderate fractions of :22.95 and :46.13 under Joe Bravo before opening up a three-length cushion at the top of the stretch, and then coasted home on top by two and three-quarter lengths.

Winter Garden, the 3-2 second choice, raced in second all the way and ended up three lengths ahead of third-place finisher Mille Feville. Roman Romance was fourth in the six-horse field, from which Brass in Pocket was scratched. The final time, over a muddy track, was 1:10.37.

"She broke away from the gate nicely, and extended her lead throughout the race," said Bravo. "There was a bit of a concern about how she would handle an off track, but (trainer) David Fawkes had her really ready to run. It made my job very easy."

Holy Bubbette returned $4.20 and earned $81,600 for owner Katherine Elam.