Woodbine Mohawk Park: Only Take Cash, Evident Beauty impress in Casual Breeze

Only Take Cash and Evident Beauty emerged victorious in two C$83,123 Casual Breeze Stakes divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies that took place on Friday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A standout in the Ohio Sires Stakes program, Only Take Cash (Trevor Henry) took her first Grand Circuit victory in the opening split. She popped pocket to take the top spot away from Southwind Casha (Yannick Gingras) past the 27 3/5 opening quarter and would stroll to a 56 4/5 half and a 1:26 three-quarters. Off that soft middle-half, Only Take Cash had plenty left in the final quarter, and she sprinted home in 28 4/5 to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Special Honor (David Miller) in 1:54 4/5. Dark As A Pocket (Jody Jamieson) was up for third.

The first Casual Breeze test was supposed to be the return to action of Hambletonian Oaks champion When Dovescry, but she came up sick and had to be scratched.

A daughter of Cash Hall, Only Take Cash is trained by Bob McIntosh who also bred her with C S X Stables and now co-owns her with Dave Boyle and Mardon Stables. This was her 13th win from 16 career starts, and she has now earned C$434,311. She was the 1-2 favorite and paid $3.10 to win.

In the other Casual Breeze clash, Evident Beauty (D. Miller) took her time working around Angies Luckeylady (Henry) for command beyond the 28 1/5 first quarter, but did so as favorite The Ice Dutchess (Yannick Gingras) made a break while following Evident Beauty. With the public choice no longer in contention, Evident Beauty was unchallenged to a 57 2/5 half and a 1:26 3/5 three-quarters and poured it on through the lane, opening up all the way to the finish line to prevail by six lengths in 1:54 2/5. Angies Luckeylady battled on at the inside to hold second over Sonnet Grace (Louis-Philippe Roy).

"My filly kind of laid up on me around the first turn, and I was kind of waiting to get around the turn to get to the lead," said Miller. "I thought Yannick would be coming, but when he never did the fractions were soft enough for her. She actually felt very strong tonight, very sharp, so I was real happy with her."

Nifty Norman trains Evident Beauty, a filly by Trixton, for owners Mel Hartman, Little E LLC., and R A W Equine Inc. She made her eighth appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now pocketed C$555,260. She was the 9-5 second choice and returned $5.60 to win.