Left a Message made her first trip to Woodbine a memorable one by earning her first stakes score in Wednesday’s $101,200 Flaming Page Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Tom Proctor for owner Glen Hill Farm, the grey daughter of Mr. Greeley arrived at the 1 1/2-mile turf stake off a narrow neck loss at Arlington Park.
Lateegra, piloted by Justin Stein, led the field into the first turn with Peche Mobilee and Ardara tracking her early foot through splits of :25.47 and :49.80. Luis Contreras, aboard Left a Message for the first time, rated comfortable in fourth position down the backstretch of the expansive E.P. Taylor Turf Course as Lateegra opened up a five-length advantage.
Distorted Legacy, with Todd Kabel up, closed in on the front-runner through the turn, but Contreras urged Left a Message into gear at the top of the lane and galloped out a 3 1/4-length winner in a final running time of 2:27.65. Sky High Lady closed for place over Pure Blue Sky.
Contreras noted that the four-year-old Left a Message, bred in Kentucky at Kinsman Farm, enjoyed her first jaunt over the Woodbine green.
“She was very comfortable. She’s a nice, classy filly,” said Contreras. “It was so easy for this filly to win. I had lots of horse at the end.”
Left a Message banked $60,000 in victory, while improving her record to 3-3-0 from 10 career starts.
She returned $3.60 $2.50 and $2.10, pairing with Sky High Lady ($5, $3.90) for an $18.20 (1-4) exactor. A 1-4-5 (Pure Blue Sky, $3.10 to show) triactor was worth $68. Distorted Legacy completed a $1 Superfecta (1-4-5-7) worth $110.80. Irish Mission was scratched.
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