Velvet Mood by a neck in My Dear Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The sharp Presque Isle Downs shipper Velvet Mood took the $129,000 My Dear Stakes in a professional manner under Pablo Morales at Woodbine on Saturday.

Velvet Mood ($19.40) raced in fourth on the backstretch in the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies before advancing three wide into third on the turn. Raglan Road went by the tiring pacesetter, White Tights, early in the stretch before being overtaken by Velvet Mood, who held off a closing Stormy Perfection late to score by a neck in 1:12.41.

Raglan Road beat out Green Freedom for third in the seven-horse field. The heavily favored Arlington shipper Forest Circle finished a close fifth after missing the break and lacking room in the stretch.

“She’s super easy to ride,” said Morales. “She does whatever you ask her to do. She’s been so classy from Day 1. I was just sitting on her, comfortable. I knew I had a lot of horse. I knew I was gonna finish running, so I figured I’d just get a clear spot near the speed. I was sure she’d respond, which she did. As soon as a horse came to her outside, she dug in. She wouldn’t let them go by.”

Velvet Mood, a daughter of Lonhro, is unbeaten in three starts for trainer Tim Hamm. She earned $75,000 in her stakes debut for Blazing Meadow Farm and Siena Farm.