Loyalty makes statement with solid triumph in Bessasrabian Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Loyalty beat a deep field of fillies and mares in Saturday’s Grade 2, $181,700 Bessarabian at Woodbine while stamping herself as a contender for Canadian champion female sprinter honors.

Loyalty raced three-wide near the rear of the first flight on the turn in the seven-furlong event before Kazushi Kimura angled her wide for the drive. She hit the front around the sixteenth pole before drawing clear to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths, in a time of 1:22.27.

Love to Shop, at 18-1, edged out 41-1 bomb Dolce Sopresa for second while last year’s Bessarabian winner, Our Flash Drive, finished fourth in the 13-horse field. Baby No Worries was withdrawn.

Loyalty was softened up in a front-end battle in her previous start in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion and finished fourth as the 5-2 second choice.

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“Last time, she was a little aggressive from the beginning,” Kimura recalled. “But today, there were so many frontrunners and fortunately I was able to sit behind. She was so comfortable from behind. She finished up strong.”

Loyalty gave trainer Josie Carroll her third winner on the card.

“She trained well into this race,” Carroll said. “She’s just such a lovely filly. I thought she was extremely tenacious today. She had every reason not to dig in. She was shuffled around in there a little bit. Then, she just pinned her ears and away she went.”

Loyalty ($8.30) earned $105,000 for owners Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods. She was the second stakes winner on the card for the successful synthetic sire Hard Spun, who also sired Maple Leaf winner Millie Girl.

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