Ontario-bred Desert Ride impresses in debut
NEW ORLEANS – The $1 million Queen’s Plate is more than five months away, on June 28 at Woodbine, but for 3-year-old filly Desert Ride’s connections it might not be too early to start thinking about that race.
Ontario-bred Desert Ride had her first trip to the post in the eighth race Thursday at Fair Grounds and, despite making some mistakes (starting with a poor break), she came away with a 1 1/4-length win. Desert Ride rallied from last under Shaun Bridgmohan and really exploded the final 1 1/2 furlongs to take a going-away victory.
“Shaun’s been working her for me, and the one thing he said was regardless of whether we ran her on turf or dirt, not to sprint her, to run her long first time,” trainer Neil Howard said.
Indeed, Desert Ride needed the better part of six furlongs just to sort herself out, but she finished like a filly with a future. Bred and owned by Sam-Son Farms, Desert Ride is the first foal to race produced by the Distorted Humor mare Fun in the Desert. Fun in the Desert is a sister to three stakes winners, including Eye of the Leopard, who won the 2009 Queen’s Plate for Sam-Son.
Howard said he’d find a first-level turf allowance race for Desert Ride’s next start.
