Lift Up game in Belle Mahone victory

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The favored Maryland shipper Lift Up captured her first stakes on Tapeta in determined fashion in Sunday’s $104,000 Belle Mahone at Woodbine.

Lift Up trailed the six-horse field of fillies and mares, racing some five lengths off leader Lunar Garden, on the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile route. Lift Up mounted a four-wide rally on the far turn while She’s the Berries awaited room along the rail, and she went on collar She’s the Berries and Lunar Garden in the final strides, scoring by a neck over the former in a time of 1:43.57.

Lunar Garden finished another nose back in third. She was followed by A. A. Azula’s Arch, Monte Crista, and Ladies Night.

Patrick Husbands got a leg up from trainer Michael Dickinson on Lift Up, who was beaten a neck when second in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf here last November.

“Patrick’s got beautiful hands,” Dickinson said. “The key to her in any race is to get her to relax early. It’s no good just holding her with brute force. Patrick has lovely hands, and she wasn’t pulling him. We think she’s going to be better going longer.”

A daughter of Ghostzapper bred by George Strawbridge, Lift Up ($5.70) earned $60,000 for Augustin Stable.