Tiller's Simply Lovely Wins Third Toronto Stakes

(from Woodbine report)
Simply Lovely, with Steve Bahen in the irons, rallied from just off the pace to win the $165,900 Fanfreluche Stakes for 2-year-old Canadian-bred fillies at Woodbine in authoritative fashion Sunday.

Over a fast main strip, the daughter of Bold Executive captured her third added-money win on the season for trainer Robert Tiller and owner Rocco Marcello.

Bahen, who now has six stakes victories in 2004, asked his filly for her best run just prior to the turn for home. Simply Lovely responded splendidly, crossing the wire 2 ¾-lengths in front of Silver Impulse. The time of the six-furlong race was 1:12.41.

Outsider Something Brewing took early command through early fractions of :21.85 and :45.05 as Bahen, who won the Labeeb Stakes earlier on the card with Le Cinquieme Essai, kept his charge just off the leader.

Bahen emulated David Clark's two stake scores on Saturday, when Clark took both the River Memories and Ontario Fashion at the Toronto oval.

"She relaxed, broke well, and into the turn, I asked her to pick up on (Something Brewing)," Bahen said. "She got to her and then started dragging me along. It was all over from there."

Tiller, who saddled Winter Garden to victory in Saturday's Ontario Fashion Stakes, said of Simply Lovely: "She's answered every call for us. She's won three stakes and up to 7/8ths, she's a real tiger. I think there's better things to come next year."

Simply Lovely earned $99,540 for the win, pushing her career earnings to $288,240 in five starts.

She returned $3.20, $2.30, $2.30 across the board, combining with Silver Impulse ($3.40, $2.80) for a $9.10 exacta. Susur ($4) finished third, rounding out a $33.30 trifecta.

(Chart, Equibase)