Biofuel Popular Winner of La Lorgnette

With a confident ride from Eurico Da Silva, heavily favored Biofuel registered her fourth win in five starts over Woodbine's Polytrack in the $158,370 La Lorgnette Stakes (VIDEO) May 23.

Breaking from the rail, Da Silva allowed Canada's champion 2-year-old filly of 2009 to drop back to last in the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds. Rounding the far turn, Biofuel circled the field six wide, rallying smartly to overtake Ernfold in the final sixteenth of a mile en route to a one-length triumph. Biofuel, ridden out to the wire as the 3-10 choice in the field of seven, was timed in 1:45.49.

The stalking Ernfold was a clear second under jockey James McAleney, finishing two lengths in front of pacemaker Moment of Majesty and Robert Landry.

Witch's Coven and Moment of Majesty showed the way early through slow quarter-mile fractions of :25.34 and :50.21 before Ernfold, advancing at the rail, took the lead late on the backstretch while completing six furlongs in 1:14.55. Ernfold opened up a two-length lead in the stretch but could not contain the winner.

"I was confident I was riding the best horse. I was just asking her to be patient," Da Silva said. "She was just breezing (in the stretch). She's a great horse."

Biofuel, a Brereton C. Jones homebred trained by Reade Baker, won the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes by two lengths in her first start of the year April 10 at Woodbine. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Stormin Fever also won last year's Mazarine Stakes (Can-III) over the surface last fall before finishing a fast-closing fourth despite trouble in the stretch run of the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Nov. 6.

All of Biofuel's wins in a seven-race career have come at Woodbine. She earned $84,942 for the La Lorgnette victory and has now banked $480,018 in her career.

The winning bay filly is out of the Indian Charlie mare Ms. Cornstalk.

Biofuel carried top weight of 120 pounds and paid $2.60, $2.1,0 and $2.10 while topping a $6.90 exacta with the graded stakes-placed Ernfold. Jim and Susan Hill's Ontario-bred runner-up, a Stormy Atlantic  filly trained by Roger Attfield, returned $3 and $2.60. Moment of Majesty was $3.30 to show.

Then came Empire Spring, Tee Game, Redverse and Witch's Coven.