Woodbine Mohawk Park: Evident Beauty overcomes post ten with aplomb in Elegantimage

Evident Beauty was saddled with post ten in the C$376,000 Elegantimage Stakes final for sophomore trotting fillies on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park, but driver David Miller found her a good spot, worked out a third-over trip on live cover, and pounced in the lane for a 1:53 decision.

There was plenty of early action in the race as Sisters Promise (Bob McClure) left strongly from post eight, but she would get overtaken by a two-wide Cloud Nine Fashion (Tim Tetrick) past the 27 1/5 opening quarter, and then The Ice Dutchess (Yannick Gingras) would press on from the outside to clear to command in the backstretch. 3-5 favorite and Hambletonian Oaks winner When Dovescry (Simon Allard) tipped out first-up from fifth going to the 55 3/5 half, giving a second-over trip to Only Take Cash (Trevor Henry) and a third-over journey to Evident Beauty.

When Dovescry advanced steadily after coming to the outside, and she was about a length behind The Ice Dutchess at the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, then overtook her in upper stretch. When Dovescry couldn't seal the deal, though, as she didn't kick on after taking over, giving chances for the horses that followed her cover. Only Take Cash powered up three-wide and Evident Beauty four-wide, and Evident Beauty got up in time, winning by half a length. Only Take Cash was a solid second, and When Dovescry had to settle for third. Princess Deo (Andrew McCarthy) collected fourth and HP Titania Runner (Louis-Philippe Roy) grabbed fifth.

"I kind of thought I better go forward with her some. It actually worked out great," said Miller. "I landed right on Trevor's back, and he was right on Simon's back. They were working pretty hard up front, and I felt pretty good in the last turn. (Sisters Promise and The Ice Dutchess) both were horses that figured, so I figured that they would be pushing off, and when the gate folded a couple of the ones in the middle left pretty good too."

Evident Beauty made breaks in the Hambletonian Oaks final and her elimination last week, so the connections did their homework and found something to change.

"We really can't figure out why she's doing that, but we watched her Hambletonian Oaks replay, and we watched last week, and every time I pull the earplugs here lately she takes off running. Tonight they didn't a put a string on there, so I couldn't pull them, and she trotted the whole way," Miller remarked with a hearty laugh.

Nifty Norman trains Evident Beauty, a Trixton filly, for owners Mel Hartman, Little E LLC., and R A W Equine Inc. She is now a nine-time winner, and she has banked C$753,463. She paid $21.40 to win as a 9-1 offering.