Tribal Belle, making her second start of the year, swept past favored Dr. Zic inside the final furlong to win the $150,726 Hendrie Stakes (Can-III) by 1 1/4 lengths at Woodbine May 16.
The 2009 Sovereign Award winner as Canada's outstanding female sprinter rebounded from a nose defeat to Proud Heiress in the Whimsical Stakes (Can-III) to defeat four rivals in the 6 1/2-furlong Hendrie. The final time was 1:15.34 over the Polytrack.
Ridden by James McAleney, Tribal Belle tracked in third as Dr. Zic, winner of the seven-furlong Madison Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland five weeks earlier, showed the way over a pressing Silver Z through fractions of :22.42 and :45.18.
Tribal Belle closed in on the leaders on the turn and challenged three wide in the stretch. She drew to within a head of Dr. Zic at the eighth pole and steadily edged away under intermittent right-handed urging.
Dr. Zic, the 13-10 favorite ridden by Kent Desormeaux, finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of the show horse, Carem Crescent, with Eurico Da Silva aboard. Silver Z faded to fourth, while Proud Heiress trailed at every call.
Tribal Belle, the second choice at 17-10, was reunited with trainer Terry Jordan for the Hendrie. Jordan was serving a suspension for a medication violation at the time of the April 18 Whimsical and the 5-year-old daughter of Tribunal--B.B. Belle, by Vying Victor, was saddled by Daniel O'Callaghan.
"She's going a lot better this year than last year," said Jordan, who also won last weekend's Vigil Stakes (gr. III) with Hollywood Hit. "She's an easy horse to be with but she's a difficult horse to train. She doesn't like working. She does what she wants to do."
A Canvasback Farms' British Columbia homebred, Tribal Belle won five of six starts in 2009 to garner end-of-the-year honors. The dark bay or brown mare's victory was her 11th in 17 lifetime starts and boosted her earnings to $625,817. The Hendrie win was worth $87,237.
Tribal Belle carried 119 pounds and paid $5.50, $2.60, and $2.10 while topping a $13.60 exacta. Dr. Zic, the 124-pound highweight trained by Ken McPeek, saw her two-race win streak ended. She returned $2.80 and $2.10. In her 2010 debut for trainer Malcolm Pierce, stakes-winning Carem Crescent was $2.80 to show.
Pretty Miss Trippi was scratched by the stewards.