Woodbine: Leigh Court wires Ontario Colleen

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Leigh Court ($12) led all the way to notch her turf debut Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,700 Ontario Colleen Stakes.

With Gary Boulanger aboard, Leigh Court set fractions of 23.75 and 46.70 seconds in the one-mile turf route for 3-year-old fillies. Overheard, the 4-1 second choice, mounted a wide rally from mid-pack at the head of the stretch, but her bid fell three-quarters of a length short of Leigh Court, who completed the distance in 1:33.32 over firm ground.

The heavily-favored Coffee Clique emerged from traffic early in the stretch to close belatedly for third in the nine-horse field.

“We worked her once on the grass, and she really liked it,” said Boulanger. “It’s always been about her being content and not too aggressive. Her and I seem to get along really well.”

Leigh Court banked $90,000 in her second consecutive stakes score for Melnyk Racing Stable and trainer Josie Carroll. The daughter of Grand Slam is a half-sister to Barracks Road, the 2010 Ontario Colleen winner.