Our Madison Scores Upset in Ontario Lassie

(from Woodbine report)
Leading jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson recorded her second stakes win on the Woodbine season, guiding 12-1 longshot Our Madison to an upset score in Sunday's $162,550 Ontario Lassie Stakes for 2-year-old Canadian breds.

Our Madison, a daughter of Tactical Cat trained by Joe Johnson, made her stakes debut a winning one, crossing the wire a neck in front of Like a Gem in a time of 1:49.26 for 1 1/16-miles, over a "fast" main track.

The gray filly came into the Ontario Lassie off a fifth-place finish, 14 lengths back of Top Notch Lady at 1 1/16-miles Nov. 3.

Our Madison, bred by Jacqueline Armstrong and owned by Kenneth Sawatzky, found her best stride along the inside in the late going. She has yet to finish worse than fifth in seven career starts, posting a mark of two wins, two seconds, and a third.

It was Heaven's Symphony who went to the front, taking the field through an opening quarter-mile in :24.15 and a half in :48.09. Wilson, whose other Woodbine stakes score came with Classic Stamp in the Bell Canadian Stakes (Can-II) in September, kept her Ontario-bred within striking range before getting up late for the win.

"Sometimes, she kind of sticks her head up down the lane and doesn't always want to win," said Wilson, who topped the $7 million mark in yearly purse earnings with the triumph. "You kind of have to coax and encourage her to do the job. You just have to let her know that you're there for her."

"I was hoping to be third or second," said Johnson, who claimed the horse in August. "I thought she had a shot. I did wear my funeral suit, which I don't do often. It was a wedding. We got it, baby."

Our Madison collected $97,290. Her career earnings mark now stands at $170,186.

She paid $27.10, $10.30, and $3.10, combining with Like a Gem ($5.80, $2.40) for a $167.60 exacta. Sugar Swirl ($2.10) rounded off a $309.80 trifecta.

(Chart, Equibase)