Tito's Calling takes Wonder Where; Sacred Dancer wins Zadracarta
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jockey Sahin Civaci swept both stakes on Sunday at Woodbine, aboard Tito’s Calling in the $250,000 Wonder Where and on longshot Sacred Dancer in the $100,500 Zadracarta.
Tito’s Calling rallied inside from fourth to get home on top by four lengths in the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where, the anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara.
“The first time I rode her, she ran really great,” Civaci said. “She ran great today as well. I’ve been working her, and she’s been doing really well in the morning. (Trainer Mike DePaulo) gave me a really good instruction - just settle off the pace and wait for the rail to open up, and that’s exactly what happened. She came running down after that.”
Wickenheiser closed from near the rear of the eight-horse field to finish second by a neck over maiden Flysofreeashleeb. Time for an Angel set a slow pace before fading to fourth, while the favored Me and My Shadow flattened out from third to fifth in the group of Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
Tito’s Calling ($9.20) covered the distance in 2:04.90 over the firm main course in her first stakes success. The daughter of Society’s Chairman collected $150,000 for Zilli Racing Stables. She was coming off a second behind Me and My Shadow in the Bison City Stakes, after a dull 10th in the opening Tiara leg, the Woodbine Oaks.
“We knew she loved the grass, and we were hoping that she could get the mile and a quarter,” said DePaulo, who won his first Wonder Where.
*** Sacred Dancer was in fine front-running form heading into the five-furlong Zadracarta on the inner turf, in which she found herself in eighth along the inside heading into the turn.
Sacred Dancer made the most of a clear path along the rail on the turn while mounting her bid, and then dueled with Hard Edge in the final furlong before scoring by a head, in a time of 56.62 over a firm course.
Breathing Fire finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, while Zana beat out Ol’ Blondie for fourth in the nine-horse field of Ontario-breds.
Sacred Dancer ($31.10) earned $60,000 for owner Kata Pleterski and trainer Don Pleterski, who claimed the daughter of Giant Gizmo for $25,000 last December. It was the first stakes win for both the 4-year-old filly and her connections.
“The first one is always the sweetest one,” Don Pleterski said. “We pointed her to this race for the last month and a half. It was either this or a race next week. She’s been running good enough, so we’ll give her a chance. And here we are.”
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