Anne's Beauty became a graded stakes winner with her first turf victory in the $159,119 Ontario Colleen Stakes (Can-IIIT) at Woodbine, giving jockey Patrick Husbands his fifth triumph on the Aug. 27 card (VIDEO).
The winning daughter of 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner Artie Schiller stalked pacesetter Mendocino Beano into the stretch and rallied to get the lead in the final furlong. She pulled away to a 1 1/4-length win over 10 rivals while ridden out, completing the one-mile test of 3-year-old fillies in a sharp 1:33.70 over firm going.
Trained by Paul Attard for owner Robert Smithen, Anne's Beauty had two prior stakes victories over Woodbine's Polytrack. She captured the Duchess in her most recent start July 30 at Woodbine and also won the Glorious Song last year.
Smart Sting, rallying wide for Eurico Da Silva, finished second in the Ontario Colleen by 1 3/4 lengths over Mendocino Beano, who was ridden by Luis Contreras. Summer Savory, the 2-1 favorite off her runner-up effort in the Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) last month, finished sixth.
With third choice Anne's Beauty always near, Menocino Beano clicked off swift quarter-mile fractions of :23.73, :46.35, and 1:09.64 and led by 3 1/2 lengths on the final turn. The front-runner had little response, however when Anne's Beauty challenged at mid-stretch.
Second choice Smart Sting was ninth on the backstretch but charged home four wide into the lane and finished gamely to gain the runner-up slot.
Anne's Beauty, out of the Sea Wall mare Lucky Streak, was bred in Kentucky by Richard Forbush and Doug Oliver.
A $30,000 buy at the Keeneland Association September 2009 Yearling Sale, the bay filly made her career debut on the Woodbine turf course with a third-place effort on July 31, 2010. She returned to the Woodbine grass June 11, running fifth in an optional claiming allowance race at 1 1/16 miles.
“I went to Keeneland two years ago,” recalled Smithen. “We hadn’t been able to find a horse. I’m having a coffee in the lunch room when my guy down there (Kenny LeJeune) said ‘Go bid on this horse, she’s a beautiful horse.’
"I had never seen the horse. Just goes to show you how much skill is involved in it. Anyway, I bought the horse. She’s been fantastic, she can do anything.”
She banked $91,683 for her fourth win in eight lifetime starts and has now earned $353,559 overall. All of her races have been at Woodbine for Attard, the son of veteran Woodbine conditioner Sid Attard.
"She just gives everything she has every time," said Attard of his versatile filly.
Anne's Beauty carried 118 pounds and paid $10.90, $5.80, $4.40. Smart Sting returned $5.10 and $3.90 and filled out a $5.80 exacta. Mendocino Beano paid $8 to show.
My Redbyrd was neck farther back in fourth, followed by Poof Too, Summer Savory, Embarr, My Perfect Ten, Heavenly Pride, Our Lady in Red, and Hoi An.