Winterberry outsteps Nata Trouble in Fury Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Heavily favored Shifty was supposed to lead all the way in Saturday’s $125,000 Fury Stakes at Woodbine, but her stablemate Winterberry proved to be the spoiler in the seven-furlong sprint for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

With Patrick Husbands aboard, the enigmatic Winterberry went straight to the front and set moderate splits as Nata Trouble took up the chase in second, while Shifty saved ground in third.

Nata Trouble drew alongside Winterberrry early in the stretch before the latter dug in to win by 1 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:22.87 seconds.

A need-the-lead type, Shifty ran evenly for third. Aristella and Miss Pierre completed the order of finish.

Winterberry ($6.80) was coming off a fading fifth-place finish in her season opener in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes, much to Husbands’ dismay.

“She made a winning move by the quarter pole,” Husbands recalled. “She came off her right lead and just put her head up and backed up. When a horse gives you that sign, you see how they come out of the race and go back from there. She came back today and showed that she’s back. She’s 80 percent better than last year. Last year, she showed you that you just don’t get in her way and rough her up - just go with the flow. She’s come a long, long way.”

The Fury is a prep for the nine-furlong Woodbine Oaks on July 20, and Husbands is confident that the daughter of Frosted will be able to run on.

“She’ll definitely get two turns,” Husbands predicted. “She’s always shown that she will get two turns, but she’s a little quirky, so you have to go with the flow.”

Owned by D J Stable, Winterberry earned $75,000 and gave trainer Mark Casse his ninth victory in the Fury, a race he has won in each of the past three years.

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