'Missy' just hangs on in Ballade

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Believe in Missy put away heavily favored Deputy Cures Blues on the front end and held off Roman Romance in the stretch to take the $125,400 Ballade Stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine.

Deputy Cures Blues stumbled badly at the start of the six-furlong dash for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, but joined Believe in Missy on the lead after about an eighth of a mile. They vied through slow fractions of 23.07 and 45.90 seconds, before Deputy Cures Blues began to weaken. Believe in Missy held her ground in deep stretch and prevailed by a neck over a fast-closing Roman Romance. Kissed by a Prince finished a length back in third, and Deputy Cures Blues finished fifth in the six-horse field. Vroom Hilda was scratched.

Believe in Missy covered the distance in 1:11.38 under apprentice Corey Fraser. "As soon as she gets in front, she just relaxes," Fraser said. "She was in her zone, and that was it. She's only little, but she has a ton of heart."

Believe in Missy ($10.60) earned $75,000 in her first stakes score. She is owned by Bob Harvey and trained by Sid Attard.