Katie's Grace picks up first stakes win in Bison City
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario − Katie’s Grace won her first stakes in style on Saturday at Woodbine, taking the $350,000 Bison City, the middle leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, under a patient ride from Ryan Munger.
Bossy Candy outran the other speed and set honest fractions in the 1 1/6-mile Tapeta event, with stablemates Glitter and Glow and Bold Time tracking her.
Katie’s Grace ($9.80) bided her time at the rear of the five-horse field while saving ground until the quarter pole, where Munger angled her outside. She mowed down the others in the stretch to prevail by two lengths, in a time of 1:44.14.
Bold Time finished second while a half-length in front of Bossy Candy. Favored Piper’s Gift flattened out to fourth after making a bid between rivals in the stretch. Glitter and Glow was a distant trailer.
Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, Katie’s Grace was coming off a distant fourth in the opening Tiara leg, the prestigious Woodbine Oaks.
“Last time in the Oaks, it was a little bit of a head-scratcher,” Munger recalled. “There were a few bumps − it wasn’t a smooth trip. I did expect her to run better. [Day Phillips] sharpened her up so well for this race. We just shrugged off the Oaks and she came here and she produced the goods. Once I gave her a clear run, she got on the bridle and ran a fantastic race.”
A daughter of Independence Hall, Katie’s Grace banked $210,000 for the Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and Hubert Vester.
The anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara is the $350,000 Wonder Where Stakes going a 1 1/4 miles on the grass here Sept. 6. Woodbine Oaks winner Luster bypassed the Bison City in favor of Saturday’s $1 million King’s Plate.
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