John Unger’s Strut the Course demonstrated an impressive turn of foot to take Sunday’s $125,000 Classy ‘n Smart Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Barb Minshall and expertly ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, the four-year-old daughter of Strut the Stage turned on the jets through the final turn, blasting to the lead at the top of the lane en route to a 7 ½-length score in the 1 1/16-miles ‘Poly’ route for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.
Strut the Course arrived at the Classy n’ Smart from an in-hand score in a 1 1/16-miles allowance test over the Woodbine turf and had posted successive bullet works preparing for her first stakes win of the season.
Moonlit Beauty, victorious in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the Classy n’ Smart, led the nine-horse field through splits of :23.38 and :47.63 with Rootham Triple E’s and Piper’s Future keeping her to task.
Strut the Course, settled near the back of the pack in the early running, stepped into gear approaching the turn and ran away from the field stopping the clock in 1:42.53.
“She was very relaxed today. I tried not to ask her too early, because she can get in the bridle very fast,” said da Silva. “I tied up the lines slowly and she just picked it up by herself. She ran very nice.”
It was the second career stakes score for Strut the Course who romped to a 6 1/2-length victory in the 2013 edition of the Eternal Search Stakes.
“She’s developed a lot as a four-year-old,” said Minshall. “We take a lot of time with her and she’s just settling and learning the game a little better with every race.”
Strut the Course banked $75,000 in victory while improving her record to 6-3-2 from 15 starts.
She paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.50, combining with Silent Star ($5.40, $4.60) for a $27.70 (3-2) exactor. A 3-2-4 (Piper’s Future, $4.90) triactor was worth $102.60, while a $1 Superfecta [3-2-4-1 (Moonlit Beauty)] came back $192.50.
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