Woodbine Mohawk Park: Sophomore fillies show off in Simcoe Stakes

Matt Bax pupil Storybook Love, who surprised last fall to win the Grade 1 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot, notched the first win of her sophomore season with a comfortable 1:53 1/5 victory on home turf at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the first of two divisions of the C$156,000 Grade 3 Simcoe Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Friday night (Sept. 4).

Sent the 2-5 favorite, driver Todd Ratchford sent Storybook Love forward and snugly planted on the helm to a 28 second first quarter. She encountered a mid-race challenge when Bingo Night looped out of third to push for command into a 57 4/5 half, but Storybook Love tracked steadily from the pocket until Ratchford eased her off the pylons to three-quarters in 1:25 3/5. Once given racetrack, Storybook Love zipped by Bingo Night and strolled down the lane under wraps for a 1 1/2 length win. Courtneys Promise kicked from a close stalking trip for second with Barbara May following suit in third and Bingo Night tiring to fourth.

"I couldn't ask for a better race to get it done," Ratchford said after the race. "She had her struggles this year, but she's raced pretty good throughout the year, so to see her actually get a win is good. Last week at Yonkers [in a New York Sires Stake] she got run into in the last turn and made a break. I thought she was probably going to win that race, so I was really confident coming into this one. I figured it was between me and Bingo Night. I figured if I could get a little cover, that’s all she'd need."

A daughter of Chapter Seven-Stirling Debutant, Storybook Love notched her first win of the season in her 11th start while collecting her fifth victory from 23 starts in her career, earning C$861,079 for owners Al Libfeld and Brad Grant. She paid $2.90 to win.

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Ill Have The Red earned the upset in the other Simcoe Stakes division when working a pocket trip and inheriting the lead late to score in 1:53 1/5. Driver Trevor Henry pushed the Rick Zeron trainee forward to clear command after a 27 4/5 quarter from odds-on favorite Blue Jean Gal, but the chalk swiftly tipped outside to circle back to the lead before a 57 1/5 half. Henry followed the favorite through the last turn and past three-quarters in 1:25 1/5 before finding himself on the lead when Blue Jean Gal broke stride in the stretch. Ill Have The Red assumed command and held her ground in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Twin B Showbiz, who rallied from near last for second. M E Laurel took third from a ground-saving trip and Cher Hill gave chase after marching first-up but tiring to fourth.

"I wanted to be behind James [MacDonald and Blue Jean Gal], and it worked out that way," Trevor Henry said after the race. "Last week she had trouble in the last turn - she was laboring in pretty good on me and we put a gaiting pole on her tonight. She still did it a little tonight, but we were able to keep closer and it helped. She felt good; I’m not saying I would've beat James, but I hadn't really asked her. When we straighten up, she usually kicks in. Tonight we had pullout earplugs, and when I kicked the plugs she did kick in."

Scoring her third win from 13 starts this season and her fifth win from 21 starts in her career, Ill Have The Red has accrued C$194,488 in earnings for owners Rick Zeron Stables, James Walker and Johnny Marvento. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Shishito paid $34.50 to win. ​

Jack Darling trainee Daya delivered as the 4-5 favorite earlier in the card with a 1:49 effort to win the single dash of the C$151,000 Grade 3 Simcoe Stakes for sophomore pacing fillies. After driver Jody Jamieson perched the daughter of Bulldog Hanover-Beach Of A Time behind pace-setter Lavender Seelster through a clip of 26 2/5 and 54 4/5, he angled his charge outside and disposed of the leader with ease. Daya kicked for the finish while under late pressure to win by a half-length over Easy Station, who rallied from second-over to take second. Jen Tilly closed from third-over for third and Lavender Seelster tired to fourth.

"I was very impressed with how tough she was," Darling said after the race. "She's as good as she can be right now, so I expected a big effort out of her, but that was really tough. Sometimes when they get strung out like she did, it does them some good the next week; when they get a good trip, they're better. Getting a nice trip last week sure helped her and then she could rough it up tonight."

Winning for the third time from 10 starts this season and the eighth time from 22 starts in her career, Daya has now banked C$789,000 for owner Jack Darling Stables Ltd. Following the victory, Darling said he would reconsider Daya's stakes schedule, including possibly supplementing for other upcoming races.

"I never thought about [supplementing to the Jugette], but I will now," Darling said. "Because there's the Breeders Crown too; that's a big supplement. They're things to think about, but that would be down the road. She's never been on a half. I think she'd be fine - she gets around the turns good."

Daya paid $3.60 to win. ​

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--