Woodbine Mohawk Park: Test Of Faith crushes her competition in Milton final

Test Of Faith had to work to clear the lead, but once in front was the dominant force in capturing Saturday's C$230,000 Milton Stakes final for older pacing mares at Woodbine Mohawk Park for driver David Miller.

Watch Me Now N and Tim Tetrick blasted to the front quickly as So Much More, Mikala and Grace Hill all left for position. Miller kept the 1-5 favorite Test Of Faith close to the action and eventually would take a brief seat in fourth following the 26 3/5 opening quarter.

Grace Hill, an elimination winner a week earlier, made an aggressive move once on the backstretch for Doug McNair, and Miller was quick to move his 4-year-old Art Major mare on her back. Test Of Faith grabbed command following the 54 2/5 half-mile fraction, and mares moved in position on the outside led by So Much More, with Mikala and Fire Start Hanover following in second- and third-over position.

The flow wouldn't go quite far, as Miller saw Test Of Faith accelerate with a 26 4/5 third quarter that left the outer flow gasping and kept Grace Hill at a safe distance in the pocket.

Once the field turned into the stretch, it was clear that the Brett Pelling-trained Test Of Faith was simply up against the clock, as she sprinted a final quarter in 27 seconds flat to finish the mile in a stakes record 1:48 1/5 mile, just a fifth off the Canadian standard. Mikala and George Brennan rallied off cover to be second, with Tetrick and Watch Me Now N coming along the pylons late for third.

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"She usually takes care of herself in a race," said Miller following the win. "Tonight, she took ahold of me going past the half, and that made me more confident."

The victory, number 30 in the career of the 2021 Horse of the Year Test Of Faith, was her eighth in 14 starts this year. Owned by Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing and Eddie Gran, Test Of Faith returned $2.70 as the public choice.

Pelling said, "It really looked like she was toying with them tonight."