CEC Farms’ Cryptic Message made every pole a winning one in Sunday’s $150,800 Shady Well Stakes, at Woodbine.
The bay daughter of Cryptograph-Abby O, trained by Ralph Biamonte and ridden Emma-Jayne Wilson, remained unbeaten while notching her first added-money score in the five and a half furlong ‘Poly’ sprint.
Cryptic Message was off a step slow, but Wilson rushed Cryptic Message up the rail to mark the opening quarter in a swift :21.67 with Natural Blonde and Tahnee hot on her heels.
Spring in the Air, the post-time favourite, angled off the rail in pursuit through the stretch but could not reel in the front-runner who notched a half in :44.92 en route to a length and a half score. Spring in the Air held on for place, two and three-quarter lengths clear of Bold Birdie. Cryptic Message stopped the clock in 1:04.42.
Assistant trainer Rocco De Luca was impressed with his filly’s early speed, which she used to break her maiden sprinting four and a half furlongs on June 16, at Woodbine.
“She’s really quick out of the gate, like she did in her first race when she broke her maiden,” noted De Luca. “First-time lasix helped a lot too, and here we are taking a picture.”
De Luca is hopeful that Cryptic Message, who was bred in Ontario by Barry and Helen Irving, will improve as she stretches out in distance.
“She’s bred to go two-turns,” said De Luca. We were surprised the first time, when she did go short, because of her pedigree. Nice horses overcome pedigree sometimes.”
Cryptic Message improved her record to a perfect two-for-two, while banking $90,000 for her efforts.
She returned $10.80, $4.70 and $3.10, pairing with Spring in the Air ($3.40, $2.30) for a $33.20 (2-1) exactor. A 2-1-3 (Bold Birdie, $2.60 to show) triactor was worth $80.60. A $1 2-1-3-8 (Bear’s Pearl) superfecta paid $680.35.
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