Oujda takes Sweet Briar Too in North American debut
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The French import Oujda made her North American debut a winning one with the addition of Lasix in Saturday’s $128,500 Sweet Briar Too Stakes while becoming the first Canadian winner for trainer Will Walden.
After breaking from the rail, Oujda parlayed an ideal stalking trip into a 1 1/4-length score over the closing favorite Ready to Jam. Ticker Tape Home checked in third in the 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint, which was clocked in a time 1:07.98 over the firm turf.
“It was a nice trip,” Hernandez said. “I was surprised [Sickle Dance] went. I knew [Queen of the Mud] and [Dontlookbackatall] were going to be the speed of the race, so we had another one to join in. It made the job easier. We had more pace. They went head-and-head all the way. I just swung out and the filly did the rest.”
A Group 3 winner last fall at Chantilly, Oujda earned $75,000 for Woodford Thoroughbreds. The towering daughter of Sioux Nation returned $9.60 as the second choice in the wagering in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares.
Niagara Stakes
Favored Stanley House finally notched his first stakes in Saturday's $119,200 Niagara under an aggressive ride from Leo Salles for trainer Mike DePaulo.
Stanley House went straight the lead in the 1 1/4-mile turf route and set honest fractions. The son of Army Mule was never threatened and coasted home on top by four lengths, in a time of 1:59.38 over the firm ground, which was just .50 seconds off the course record.
Dancin in Da’nile finished a clear second and Roscar wound up third in the 11-horse field of older runners.
“He’s a very talented horse,” Salles said. “Mike gave me the opportunity to get to know him well. We changed the bit and everything worked out good. The stretch-out in distance helped him. He positioned himself super-easy. We put it all together.”
The third-place finisher in the 2024 King’s Plate and second in last year’s Niagara, Stanley House paid $5.90 and banked $72,000 for owners John and Diana Russell.
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