Smile Again Theta surprises in Madamoiselle

Smile Again Theta paid $16.50 for her 19 1/4-length blowout victory in the $60,878 Madamoiselle Handicap at Northlands Park on Friday night. With the heavily favored Rock and Glory finishing fourth, the show prices were huge: Smile Again Theta, $31.70; Holiday Babe, $36.20; and Sollie Go Nee Nee, $73.40.

It was hard to see the dominant performance in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares coming. After all, Smile Again Theta is a 7-year-old mare who had never won a stakes races. In her last race, she finished more than 14 lengths behind Rock and Glory in the John Patrick.

The expected shape of the race changed when Rock and Glory didn’t break that sharply, though. Instead of being on the lead, as usual, Rock and Glory was sitting in third early and didn’t look comfortable.

With Tony Maragh aboard, Smile Again Theta found herself sitting just off Truvi for the first quarter-mile before taking over the lead after a half-mile in a quick 46.20 seconds over a track rated good. She opened up a clear lead after six furlongs in 1:11.60 and then drew off from her overmatched opponents. Holiday Babe rallied to finish second over Sollie Go Nee Nee. Rock and Glory moved up to second at the top of the stretch before tiring to finish fourth.

The final time was 1:44.60.

Smile Again Theta, the only Alberta-bred in the six-horse field, is trained by Jerri Robertson. Robertson claimed her for himself and Dom Chieffo for $7,500 in 2012. She is now owned by Robertson and Heather Chieffo.