Versatile filly going back to the dirt

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Heyahohowdy, a rousing recent winner of the Passing Mood Stakes on turf, will go back to the main track in Wednesday's Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine.

The 1 1/16-mile event has lured just four other Ontario-sired 3-year-old-fillies, who will split purse a $127,135.

Heyahohowdy, making her third start in a month, could almost be viewed as a throwback to the days when the durable Eternal Search ran. Voted the champion older filly or mare in Canada in 1982-83, Eternal Search won 18 of 44 starts and banked $642,177 for owner Mel Lawson.

Heyahohowdy, who finished second against $32,000 maidens in her May 26 debut, has won all three of her subsequent outings on dirt and turf. She went on Lasix in her next to last start, her first on turf, and cruised to a daylight score over allowance opposition.

Heyahohowdy was made the surprising favorite when she shortened up from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs for the Passing Mood. After pressing Spanish Decree through slow fractions, she drew clear in the final furlong to stop the timer in 1:22.20 seconds, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 87 in the process.

Trainer Norm DeSouza said he had always thought highly of Heyahohowdy, a daughter of Domasca Dan, nicknamed "Heidi" around the barn.

"We knew she was a pretty good horse as a 2-year-old," DeSouza recalled, "but she got hurt, so we put her away for the year. We got lucky when nobody took her for $32,000 first time out."

DeSouza said he isn't overly concerned with running Heyahohowdy back in two weeks on Wednesday.

"I think she's up to it," he said, noting that the filly came out of the Passing Mood in good shape "and has been eating good. I'm quite confident in her. After this race, I plan on giving her six weeks off, and then I'll seek out another Ontario-sired race for her."

DeSouza won two stakes, including the Passing Mood, in 1999 with Julie's Witt, whom he owned himself.

Rounding out the Eternal Search lineup will be Tinturn Abbey, Brass in Pocket, Yaella and Bright Knight.

Bright Knight finished fifth in the Labatt Woodbine Oaks, and was recently fourth in the Bison City Stakes, which were the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Tiara. She got a Beyer Figure of 82 in both of those races, and will don blinkers on Wednesday.

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