Toronto, ON – Canvasback Farm homebred Tribal Belle rallied smartly to capture Sunday’s Grade 3, $155,500 Hendrie Stakes at Woodbine.
The five-year-old daughter of Tribal Rule seized command from Grade 1 winner Dr. Zic with one sixteenth of a mile to go and was under the wire a 1 1/4-length winner. Starting for the first time in 2010, Carem Crescent sustained a wide rally to finish third. The running time for 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:15.34.
Trainer Terry Jordan said the mare is training better than she did last year, when she took five of her six starts, including the Seaway, the Ontario Fashion and the Bessarabian — a record that resulted in a Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion female sprinter. “She’s going a lot better this year than last year,” said Jordan, who also won last weekend’s Vigil 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.”
Under jockey Jim McAleney, Tribal Belle settled perfectly in third along the backstretch, content to stalk a duel between Dr. Zic and Silver Z, who travelled :22.42 and :45.18 to the quarter and half, respectively. The British Columbia-bred angled to the outside on the turn and drove outside favorite Dr. Zic at the top of the stretch.
The victory is Tribal Belle’s first of 2010. In her first start, she was second in the Grade 3 Whimsical, defeated just a nose by Proud Heiress, who was fifth in the Hendrie. Tribal Belle is now 11-for-17 lifetime with $628,580.
The mare returned $5.50, $2.60 and $2.10, combining with Dr. Zic ($2.80, $2.10) for a $13.60 exactor. Carem Crescent ($2.80) rounded out a triactor worth $40.30.
Pretty Miss Trippi was scratched.
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