Munnyfor Ro, Canada’s champion three-year-old female of 2021, is set to make her four-year-old debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Belle Mahone Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Kevin Attard for Raroma Stable Inc., the daughter of Munnings-Repartee arrives at the 1 1/16-mile main track Belle Mahone (for fillies & mares, four-year-olds and upwards) on a two-race win streak, along with a Sovereign Award crown.
Posting four wins, two seconds and a pair of thirds from 10 starts in 2021, Munnyfor Ro was money in the bank for her connections, picking up victories in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, the Wonder Where and Ontario Damsel, enroute to her nod as the country’s top sophomore filly.
Three weeks after her Oaks victory, the chestnut took on 12 rivals in the $1 million Queen’s Plate, finishing fourth, overcoming traffic troubles to wind up 1 ¾ lengths behind winner Safe Conduct.
Attard remains impressed by Munnyfor Ro’s prosperous sophomore campaign.
“Obviously, winning the Oaks was pretty special, being my first one. That’s something you won’t forget. I think even the way she capped off her year in the final race, winning the Ontario Damsel. It was an open three-year-old filly race and to see her close it off and solidify that she was going to be the champion three-year-old in Canada, that was kind of the icing on the cake. She ran a good race in the Plate and certainly didn’t disgrace herself. We had to give it a shot. Chances are, she would have won all three races in the Triple Tiara had she run in the Bison City, but we elected to take on the boys and give it a try. It didn’t work out the way we hoped, but she still ran a very good race.”
Bred in Ontario by Daybar Ltd., Munnyfor Ro has been working steadily ahead of her first race of the campaign.
“Her last work, I was really happy with it,” said Attard, of the five-furlong breeze in 1:01.40 over the Woodbine Tapeta on May 27. “She needs to do something now. She’s a little aggressive, a little sharper than normal, so it seems like she’s itching to get into some racing action. She’s running against older stakes horses for the first time in her career, which is always a bit of a challenge, so she’s going to have to step up from three to four to compete in those type of races. From a physical standpoint, she’s matured. She’s bigger and stronger, so hopefully, she can put it all together. Last year was a special year. Could she replicate that? We’re hoping so, but time will tell.”
The Belle Mahone is scheduled as race seven of 10 on Sunday’s 1:10 p.m. program.
Fans can also watch and wager on all the live action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
$100,000 BELLE MAHONE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Stand for the Flag – Declan Carroll – Gail Cox
2 – Broadway Lady – Shaun Bridgmohan – Mark Casse
3 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Dreaming of Drew – Kazushi Kimura – Barbara Minshall
5 – Alydiva – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
6 – Il Malocchio – Eswan Flores – Martin Drexler
7 – Skygaze – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
8 – Silent Causeway – Sahin Civaci – Laura Krasauskaite
9 – November Fog – Antonio Gallardo – Sarah Ritchie
10 – Barkin – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Catherine Day Phillips
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