Pageant Queen moves up into My Dear off upset maiden win
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pageant Queen was a good-looking debut winner at a fat price. She moves up to added-money company in Saturday’s $125,000 My Dear for fillies, one of two 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta stakes for 2-year-olds on the Woodbine card along with the $125,000 Victoria.
Sent off at nearly 20-1 in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special June 21, Pageant Queen outsprinted some fast workers for the lead and never looked back, scoring by 2 1/2 lengths with a 58 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer Jamie Begg said Pageant Queen, a daughter of Point of Entry, had been working with Sipping History, who went on to finish second in both of her races.
“Everyone was very high on Sipping History,” Begg recalled, “but when they would work together, I was under the belief that Pageant Queen was probably [going to] be the better horse in the long run. I didn’t expect her to show that much speed in her first start. I think that bodes well for her in the future. She has speed, but she can rate. She’s a very nice filly. We’re excited about her.”
Begg and his father, Jeff, bought both fillies from the 2024 Canadian Premier yearling sale. An owner from Nashville, Tenn., Patrick Lewis’s Upland Flats Racing, subsequently purchased an interest in the two chestnuts.
“I think he’s very happy with them,” Begg said. “They’re trying to start a syndicate to come up to the sale this year and really get aggressive and spend even more money. He’s pretty happy with the [Woodbine] program.”
Thank You Amy, based at Presque Isle Downs with trainer Ron Potts, is coming off a 4 1/2-length first-out score there, for which she got a 60 Beyer.
Souper Sporty was the second runner-up to Pageant Queen in her only race, while beaten three lengths as the favorite. She also was supplemented to the Victoria by trainer Mike DePaulo.
Trainer Barbara Minshall entered two first-out winners in the nine-horse field, Armored Guard and Border Czar.
Trainer Mark Casse supplemented the unraced duo of Abdul and Pina Colada.
Souper Diva graduated second time out against Ontario-sired maidens for trainer Steve Chircop.
Victoria
Casse, who has won the Victoria six times, sends out Casson, Jupiter, and Rude Procedure in the six-horse Victoria lineup.
Casson has worked extensively since taking the first 2-year-old race of the meet on May 11, when he wired the field by four lengths with a 68 Beyer. The Caravaggio colt was a $200,000 Keeneland yearling purchase by Manfred and Penny Conrad.
Jupiter and Rude Procedure also won at first asking in front-running style, both with Beyers in the low 70s.
“It’s somewhat funny that all three of these horses won in somewhat similar fashion,” assistant trainer Kathryn Sullivan pointed out. “None of them were under a drive in the stretch – they all kind of did it on their own. Sometimes, at that age, they can stall when there aren’t any other horses challenging them.”
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