Miss Mo Mentum rallies to take Trillium Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Miss Mo Mentum reaffirmed her fondness for Woodbine’s Tapeta surface with an upset score in Sunday’s Grade 3 Trillium Stakes.

Miss Mo Mentum ($17.10) saved ground in midpack about four lengths off the lead on the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile route. Tapa Tapa Tapa, the favored Presque Isle shipper, set moderate fractions, with Lunar Garden pressing her.

Miss Mo Mentum commenced a four-wide rally midway on the far turn, and then collared Tapa Tapa Tapa at the eighth pole before drawing clear to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:43.30.

Hot Cash, a 14-1 outsider, closed wide to edge out a troubled Dixie Moon for second. Tapa Tapa Tapa weakened late to finish another head back in fourth in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares.

Jerome Lermyte rode the Mark Casse-trained Miss Mo Mentum, who had not won since capturing last year’s Grade 3 Selene Stakes over Dixie Moon here last spring.

“It worked out awesome,” Lermyte said. “The speed was fast enough to be comfortable. She doesn’t have early speed, but then she can get on the bridle. She kind of did [that] on the first turn, but then she relaxed pretty well. I was starting to get confident. She brought amazing acceleration, and that made the difference.”

A 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, Miss Mo Mentum banked $75,000 of the $134,050 purse for owner Gary Barber.

Lermyte and Casse also combined to win a second-level optional claimer on the card with Revved Up.