Favored Juliet’s Spirit, a 2-year-old bay daughter of Exchange Rate, is now three for three after capturing the $142,795 Ontario Debutante Stakes by a head at Woodbine Aug. 16.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Padua Stables' Florida homebred Juliet’s Spirit has back-to-back stakes scores, having won the five-furlong My Dear on June 30 at the Toronto oval.
Under leading rider Jim McAleney, stalked brisk opening fractions in the six-furlong test and bid three wide at the top of the stretch to get command in the lane. She had to dig in late to repel the challenge of After the Applause and Eurico Da Silva, who just missed after a determined rally.
Fanci Candi set quarter-mile splits of :21.82 and :44.54 as Juliet's Spirit sat just off the lead in third. The final time over the Polytrack was 1:10.17.
C Karma, squeezed back and checked at the turn, finished third with David Clark aboard.
McAleney, who has been aboard the filly in all of her starts, said Juliet’s Spirit was more aggressive than usual in the early stages.
"She was a little more ambitious than she was last time," said McAleney. “She knew what she was here for. She did settle. When it was time to go, I let her go. I wound up going a little bit sooner than I wanted to because I didn’t want to get into a wrestling match with her.”
Juliet’s Spirit, who is out of the Farma Way mare Juliet's Way, launched her racing career on June 7 with a neck nod over a maiden allowance field at 4 1/2 furlongs from off the pace. Then came her front-running win by 2 1/2 lengths in the My Dear. She boosted her career earnings to $209,358 with the Debutante win.
The 17-10 choice in a field of eight juvenile fillies, Juliet’s Spirit paid $5.40, $3.50, and $2.50, combining with After the Applause ($7, $3.80) for a $44.40 exacta. C Karma ($4) completed a $261.30 trifecta.
Dancingontheedge was scratched.
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Juliet's Spirit (right) holds off After the Applause to take the Ontario Debutante Stakes.
