Moonlit Promise prevails as favorite in Sweet Briar Too

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Moonlit Promise had a terrible trip while stuck in traffic in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes here Aug. 16. Things went smoother for her Saturday at Woodbine in the $101,000 Sweet Briar Too Stakes, in which she got the job done from a rail draw under Eurico Da Silva.

Malibu Bonnie set tepid fractions in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint with Just Be Kind pressing her. After breaking inward, Moonlit Promise rushed up along the inside into a stalking position and was bumped on the backstretch before closing between rivals to prevail by a half-length in 1:16.32.

Malibu Bonnie finished a clear second over Victory to Victory. Silent Sonet wound up fourth in a field reduced to seven after the scratch of Code Warrior, who’s running in Monday’s Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters.

“She’s had a lot of troubled trips this year,” said Josie Carroll, who trains Moonlit Promise. “She lost her focus a little, so we put a set of blinkers on her today. Eurico gave her an aggressive ride and got her back on her game.”

Moonlit Promise returned $5.10 as the favorite. A daughter of Malibu Moon, she earned $60,000 for the partnership of Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing.