Passion for Action prevails in Vigil Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Passion for Action ($7.10) outran troubled favorite Stacked Deck in the final furlong to take the $173,100 Vigil Stakes under Eurico Da Silva at Woodbine on Saturday.

Black Hornet set moderate fractions in the seven-furlong sprint while being tracked by another supplemental entrant to the Grade 3 race, The Great War.

Stacked Deck awaited room along the rail in third, and Passion for Action stalked three wide in fourth on the turn. Passion for Action got clear sailing on the outside in the stretch and scooted home on top by a length over Stacked Deck, who closed along the rail after finding a path in midstretch. The final time was a rapid 1:21.65.

“I think we got very lucky on the trip,” said Da Silva. “I had the best trip. He was traveling so beautifully and comfortably. When I asked him, he just took off. He’s a very smart horse. It’s very easy to ride him. Any kid could ride him.”

The Mike De Paulo-trained Passion for Action, a 4-year-old homebred by Speightstown, banked $108,000 in his second consecutive stakes score for owner Ben Hutzel.

Goodoldhockeygame checked in third in a field reduced to five after the scratch of Dimension.