Purely Hot, a former claimer who once dared to look champion Groupie Doll in the eye, earned her first graded stakes victory and continued success for her new connections April 26 at Woodbine. (VIDEO)
Making her second start off a winter layup, the 6-year-old daughter of Pure Prize closed into a hot pace to capture the $144,342 Whimsical Stakes (Can-III) on the all-weather track at the Toronto oval, defeating recently crowned Canadian champion female sprinter Youcan'tcatchme in the process.
Purely Hot was a dynamo for trainer Nick Caruso and Tuozzo Racing last year after being claimed for $4,000 and reclaimed by her connections for a $10,000 tag when they lost her for $8,000. She won four straight races, including the Satin and Lace Stakes at Presque Isle Downs, then made Groupie Doll—the winner of $1.9 million and seven graded stakes at the time—work hard for a repeat victory in the Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. II) by 1 1/2 lengths.
Purchased by Volt Resources at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale for $225,000 after running fourth in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland, Purely Hot was fourth again in the Dec. 1 Bessarabian Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine for new owner Unlimited Equine and trainer Tevis McCauley. She got a four-month rest at McCauley Farm near Nicholasville, Ky., after finishing 10th a week later in the Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park.
Purely Hot used a powerful stretch run to overtake pacesetter Goldstryke Glory in the six-furlong Whimsical with Chantal Sutherland-Kruse in the irons. Sutherland-Kruse picked up the mount from Eurico Rosa da Silva who was injured in a paddock accident one race prior to the feature event.
