Charming Delilah delightful in Sweet Briar Too

Stronach Stables homebred Charming Delilah rallied up the rail to capture Saturday’s $116,800 Sweet Briar Too Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Sid Attard, the five-year-old Stephen Got Even bay arrived at the seven furlong Tapeta sprint from an even fifth-place run in the Grade III Hendrie Stakes.

Clarkston Hope and Green Doctor contested the early Sweet Briar Too pace through splits of :23.03 and :46.58 with Chic Thrill, the 8-5 mutuel favourite, tracking their early foot.

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Green Doctor took the field into the turn as Sam-Son Farm homebred Chic Thrill dug in and launched a menacing run. However, Charming Delilah, patiently handled by Emma-Jayne Wilson from fourth position along the rail, found racing room as the field turned for home and Wilson urged the mare through for a comfortable 1/2-length score. Chic Thrill stayed on for place by ¾-lengths over Midnight Miley. Charming Delilah covered seven furlongs in 1:25.64.

Wilson believes the mare had a good excuse for her rare off-the-board effort in the Hendrie.

“She broke a little funny last time, threw her head a touch, and hit her head on the side of the gate,” said Wilson. “It took her a minute to recover. She didn’t run her best race but she gave a solid effort despite the adversity and came back to run very well today.”

Wilson, who won the 2015 edition of the Sweet Briar Too with Endless Light, was pleased with the trip she engineered on Saturday for Charming Delilah.

“I was travelling really handy in behind. I had a big opening so there wasn’t too much of the kickback,” said Wilson. “She was pretty sharp in post parade so I knew she would be travelling along really well. The inside opened up easy enough and she dug in hard. It was a hard battle to get by the Sam-Son horse (Chic Thrill) but she fought hard, as she always does, and prevailed.”

Charming Delilah, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, banked $72,000 in victory while improving her record to 4-6-1 from 12 starts.

She paid $9.70, $4 and $3.20, combining with Chic Thrill ($2.80, $2.40) for a $32.40 (2-6) exactor. A 2-6-4 triactor (Midnight Miley, $3.90 to show) was worth $142.90, while a $1 Superfecta [2-6-4-7 (Yodel)] came back $180.20.