Stalking Jilli Marie takes her stakes debut in South Ocean

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jilli Marie annexed her stakes debut and remained unbeaten under Steve Bahen in Saturday’s $100,400 South Ocean for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

Jilli Marie ($12.40) stalked along the inside in third in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, as Silent Guroo shook loose up front with Meet the Soprano taking up the chase in second.

Jilli Marie split the leaders early in the stretch before drawing clear for a 1 1/2-length score, in a time of 1:16.57.

Dejas Too closed from fifth for second, and Meet the Soprano checked in third. The favored Sunsprite rallied between rivals from eighth to end up fourth in the nine-horse field.

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“She was working real sharp,” Bahen said. “We wanted to keep her close. The pace was holding up pretty good today. So she broke and just had me there. When I called on her, she came running.”

Winning trainer Katerina Vassilieva was elated for owner Kevin Drew, who’s new to the game.

“I’m so happy for the owner,” Vassilieva said. “It’s his first Thoroughbred that he’s ever owned. This was his second start ever, and he won a stakes.”

Without another appropriate spot at the meet for Jilli Marie, Vassilieva said the daughter of freshman sire Dynamic Sky is done for the year.

“She definitely deserves a break for the winter, and we’ll bring her back as a 3-year-old and see what she can do.”