DIXIE LAW, a two-year-old filly from the exceptional Ontario breeding program of Garland and Marie Williamson’s Hillsbrook Farm, won the prestigious Cup & Saucer Stakes, the 89th edition, at Woodbine on October 5.
With Woodbine’s leading rider RAFAEL HERNANDEZ on board, Dixie Law had a dreadful start from the gate, breaking outward into rival Thundermaker, but Hernandez angled the Tiz the Law filly trained by Dale Desruisseaux to the rail and sat tight. That was a good thing, because Thundermaker, with Sahin Civaci, and Gone With Duwyn, with Ryan Munger, went flying into a wild pace battle early in the 1 1/16 mile race on the inner turf. The splits of 22.47 and 45.99 had that pair in front of Dixie Law, who was in mid-pack, by some seven lengths.
Around the second turn to the home stretch, the pacesetters stopped and several youngsters were making moves. Heavily-favoured Military Time, an impressive debut winner for trainer Mark Casse, had been chasing the duelers and was trying to gain. Dixie Law was three wide in her advance, Princecrest was coming up the rail and the maiden Buium was following Dixie Law.
Military Time, who was ridden by Jose Campos for the first time, ran out of gas early while Dixie Law went to the lead. Princecrest and Buium rallied around her for second and third. Another filly, Backstreet Emma, had some trouble in the race and rallied to be fourth. The time was 1:44.60.
This was the second Cup & Saucer win for Williamson, who has been racing and breeding a small, quality stable in Erin, ON for about 25 years.
Williamson’s brilliant gal Hard Not to Like won the Cup & Saucer in 2011 for trainer Gail Cox.
Dixie Law won her career debut as many expected after a litany of impressive workouts. However, the filly was short of her best for her next race, the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 13.
“She got sick before the Catch a Glimpse [August 16],” noted Desruisseaux. “It would have been really nice to have that race going into the Natalma. Who knows if we win the race? But I think we would have been in a lot better situation than we were, just foundation and fitness-wise.
“She broke horribly [today], she broke to the right, but in hindsight, how fast they were going played out in our favour. She was able to settle and get into a nice rhythm and luckily, they came back to her.”
Williamson, who was born in Georgia and retains his southern drawl, came to Canada in 1967. He owned Trophy Foods, managed it and then sold it. He has always loved horses and has done well, with over 100 winners.
Many of his top horses trace to one of his first purchases, Its a Ruby, who was placed in five races with trainer Wray Lawrence in 2000.
Its a Ruby was a super broodmare for Williamson, with nine winning foals including Wonder Where Stakes winner Like a Gem, Vandal Stakes winner Win and Reign and graded stakes-placed Cool Gator. Its a Ruby’s daughters Like a Gem, Go Go Neigh (dam of Breeders’ Stakes winner Camp Creek) and Lasting Memory have continued on the successful bloodline.
LIKE A GEM produced Williamson’s HARD NOT TO LIKE, who won three Grade 1s, earned $1.2 million for Hillsbrook after the farm sold her for $1.5 million at auction.
Dixie Law is from a newer mare of the Williamsons, Bit Of Dixie, who cost $290,000 as a yearling and was showing promise in workouts in 2017, but she never raced. Dixie Law is her fourth foal to race and she has produced winner Country Living.
Desruisseaux began training for Hillsbrook in 2023 and with five wins for the stable this year, he is just two wins shy of equaling the most wins Hillsbrook has had in a season (2009, seven wins). Desruisseaux follows some notable names who have trained for Hillsbrook such as Bob Tiller, Roger Attfield, Rachel Halden, Dan Vella, Nick Gonzalez, Brian Lynch, Ian Black, Kevin Attard, Nick Gonzalez, Catherine Day Phillips, Breeda Hayes and Gail Cox.
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The co-featured ALGONQUIN STAKES for two-year-olds at just 5 furlongs on the inner turf was won by heavily-favoured invader CY FAIR, a daughter of the red-hot US stallion Not This Time. Cy Fair, a filly trained by George Weaver for owners Swinbank Stables and Medallion Racing, came into the $175,000 Algonquin with a maiden win and an 80 Beyer Speed Figure, and a close second in the Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga with an 82 Beyer.
With Sahin Civaci riding at Woodbine on Sunday, Cy Fair was some five lengths behind the hot pace early in the Algonquin. Three horses were battling up front and that worked out well for Cy Fair, who simply blew past five rivals to win by more than three lengths. Her time was 56.39.
A $185,000 Ocala April two-year-old in training purchase this year, Cy Fair is from the Arch mare Remarqued and she was bred by Marc Keller.
Ontario-bred CASSON, owned by Manfred and Penny Conrad, finished second over invader Gypsy Art, trained by Wesley Ward.
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