Ocean Club prevails in Nassau Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Ocean Club led a parade of longshots to the top three positions in Saturday’s Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine, scoring in front-running fashion under Sofia Vives.

Ocean Club was pressed by another shipper, Sweet Rebecca, through quick, wind-aided fractions in the one-mile main turf route for fillies and mares. She opened up a daylight lead early in the stretch before going on to win by three-quarters of a length, in a time of 1:33.62 seconds over good ground.

Ready for Shirl, at 19-1, rallied through traffic under Emma-Jayne Wilson to edge out 61-1 bomb Blueberry Fields for second. Austere wound up fourth and was followed by Ready to Jam, Mission of Joy, Crevalle d’Oro, the favored Caitlinhergrtness, Metaphysical, Ms. Tart, and Sweet Rebecca.

Ocean Club paid $27.80 to win and the trifecta returned $756.12 for 20 cents.

Vives was winning her second stakes on the card, after guiding Patches O’Houlihan to victory in the Grade 2 Highlander. She rode Ocean Club once before, when the daughter of Curlin finished fourth in the Grade 3 Trillium on the Tapeta here last July.

“We ran a good fourth last year,” Vives recalled. “I think we were beaten only a length. Today, I put her where she was going to be comfortable. The turf was playing pretty speed-favoring. She broke sharp. She was up there with her ears forward - very comfortable. She ran home and was pretty game.”

Trained by Tom Proctor, the Kentucky-bred Ocean Club earned $105,000 of the $180,700 purse for owner-breeder Glen Hill Farm.

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