Really Sharp holds off favorite to win Vigil Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Really Sharp ($59.10) held off the favored Kentucky shipper Occasional View to take the $153,400 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

The Grade 3 sprint was marred by the fatal breakdown of Delegation, who pulled up lame in behind shortly after the break after he was bumped by Really Sharp. Following a stewards’ inquiry regarding that relatively minor bumping incident, the result stood.

Really Sharp pressed Bear No Joke through moderate fractions in the seven-furlong event. Occasional View mounted a wide rally from the back of the pack leaving the quarter pole, but his bid fell short of Really Sharp, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:21.83. Go Blue Or Go Home finished a close third in a field reduced to eight with the scratch of Dynamic Sky.

Steve Bahen rode Really Sharp for trainer Ian Black.

“He broke real well, came out a little bit, and bumped [Delegation] at the start,” Bahen said. “Once he recovered from that, he rated real nice. He was just sitting there, waiting to run.”

In just his second career victory, Really Sharp banked $90,000 for owner-breeders Richard and Nancy Kaster.