Van Lear Rose, sent off at odds of 9-1, closed from well off the pace to mow down favored Livin Lovin in the final strides on her way to a half-length victory in the $254,293 Mazarine Stakes (Can-III) (VIDEO) for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine Oct. 5.
It was a big day for winning jockey Chantal Sutherland, who guided Mine That Bird to victory in the Grey Stakes (Can-III) two races earlier. The Ontario homebred Van Lear Rose won for Kingview Farms and trainer Catherine Day Phillips.
The race set up nicely for the daughter of Stroll--Devaluation, by Conquistador Cielo, who was making her route debut in the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine after winning the restricted Muskoka Stakes at Woodbine in her last start Sept. 1.
Georgia Song, opening up a clear advantage over After the Applause and Livin Lovin, set the early fractions of :24 1/5, :48 3/5 and 1:13. Livin Lovin, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, went for an inside move to take the lead at the eighth pole and was briefly clear in the drive for the wire. But Van Lear Rose, devoid of any early speed, powered down the center of the track to win going away. The final time was 1:43.69 on Polytrack, nearly one full second faster than Mine That Bird ran in winning the Grey.
Sutherland said the two-turn event set up as she expected.
“I thought it would set up that way. I had my eye on (Ramon) Dominguez (aboard Livin Lovin). I thought she was the one to beat. I was a little wide, but there was really nowhere to get in. When I really needed her, she accelerated,” she said.
After making her fourth trip to the winner’s circle, Sutherland summed up her satisfying day at the office in two words.
“A blast,” she said.
Livin Lovin ran second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Georgia Song and Emile Ramsammy.
Van Lear Rose has two wins and two seconds in five lifetime starts. She picked up a winner's share of $166,446 to push her earnings to more than $275,000.
“I’ve really liked this filly for a long time," Day Phillips said. "I thought she would get better stretching out, which she did. She does tend to relax in the morning when she’s asked to. Luckily, Chantal got her to relax today, so she was effective at the end.”
Sent off as the fifth choice in the field of 10, the winner paid $20.70, $9.20 and $6.40, topping a $2 exacta worth $104.10 with runner-up Livin Lovin. The latter, the 5-2 choice trained by Steve Klesaris, returned $4.30 and $4.70. Georgia Song was $7.40 to show.
Retraceable was a length farther back in fourth, followed by Bedtime Story, Dancingontheedge, Babylonian, Mullins Beach, After the Applause and Astrotime.