Toronto, ON – Simply Splendid, superbly handled by jockey Chantal Sutherland, outbattled Miss Keller in late stretch to post a surprising upset in the Grade 2, $300,000 Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares, Saturday at Woodbine.
The one mile contest over a ‘good’ E.P. Taylor Turf Course went postward with six starters, including odds-on Rainbow View, who was lugging 125 pounds.
But it was Simply Splendid, a five-year-old mare co-owned by trainer Gail Cox and John Menary, who proved her Nassau prep win three weeks ago was no fluke.
Sitting a patient second to pacemaker Points of Grace, through early fractions of :24.34, :47.16 and 1:10.13, Simply Splendid took over nearing the eighth-pole then gamely withstood a late charge from Miss Keller through the lane to post a half-length decision in 1:34.23. Rainbow View wound up third, a further two lengths behind, after also trying to mount a stretch charge.
“Chantal and I had discussed that there would be no pace, so we just felt we’d let her run her race,” said Cox. “She was just laying closer (than normal) because they were going slow. I was a little concerned. But it was pretty amazing. We were digging in pretty hard and she (Miss Keller) was coming (at the end).”
Cox, who admitted to having some nice horses in her stable this year, is off to a phenomenal start at Woodbine. Simply Splendid was her fifth winner from only 12 starts.
Sent postward the 6-1 fourth choice under 118 pounds, Simply Splendid pocketed $180,000 for the victory, the biggest of her career, winning her sixth race in only 12 lifetime starts. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Maria’s Mon has now earned over $467,000.
She paid $15.80, $7.50 and $2.60, combining with Miss Keller ($3.70, $2.70) for an $82.70 (7-2) exactor. A 7-2-6 (Rainbow View, $2.10 to show) triactor was worth $170.90.
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