Woodbine Mohawk Park: Ontario-sired fillies shine in Simcoe Stakes

Sex Appeal and driver Trevor Henry posted a 7-1 upset, tracking down heavily-favored Lady Lou in the late stages to capture the first of two Simcoe divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night. The daughter of Bettor's Delight stopped the timer
in 1:50 2/5, winning for the fifth time in nine sophomore starts.

Lady Lou and driver Andrew McCarthy were sent off as the 1-5 public choice, but Henry and Sex Appeal made that pair work through a 26 1/5 opening quarter before agreeing to a pocket journey. McCarthy cut honest fractions of 54 4/5 and 1:23 3/5, turning the race into a two-filly
sprint home. Henry got the most from Sex Appeal, a pupil of trainer Bob McIntosh, and collared Lady Lou for the top prize. Lady Lou held down second, with Beach Sports third across the wire.

"She always fights right to the wire," said Henry of Sex Appeal, who is owned by Bob McIntosh and Al McIntosh Holdings. Sex Appeal returned $17.50 to win.

Favorites righted the ship in the second Simcoe stanza as Lauras Love converted on a second-over trip to score for driver Bob McClure in a 1:50 3/5 mile.

Perfect Storm had Henry hoping for the Simcoe sweep, jetting to the front an eighth of a mile into the contest and cutting fractions of 26 3/5 and 56 1/5, unopposed. Preeminence and Yannick Gingras attacked without cover through three-quarters, which was clocked in 1:24 1/5, with McClure circling wide with Lauras Love off the final bend.

The daughter of Betterthancheddar exploded to overtake Perfect Storm in mid-stretch and maintained a safe margin right through the wire. Perfect Storm held the place courageously, with Karma Seelster along the pylons in third.

Trainer John Pentland shares ownership of Lauras Love with Gracie Mae Barr. Lauras Love won for the eighth time in 15 career starts, all as a sophomore. She returned $3 as the public choice.

"Bob (McClure) gave her a great steer," said Pentland, who noted that Lauras Love was not on the top of her game in last week's Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event at Woodbine Mohawk Park but bounced back nicely with the victory here.