Mensa started strong and finished stronger to take the $125,000 Victoria Stakes for two-year-olds on Friday afternoon at Woodbine.
Under Patrick Husbands, Mensa emerged with the lead after an early scuffle with a trio of rivals and held a two-length lead on Shadow Factor, who was a head in front of Sol de Verano, through an opening quarter in :22.80.
Mensa continued to run unfettered on the front end in the 5 ½-furlong sprint over the main track, as Husbands and the dark bay began to pull away with ease from the field heading into the turn for home.
Cruising through five-eighths in :58.07, Mensa, trained by Mark Casse for Resolute Racing, romped to the wire to notch his first stakes victory in what was his third career start. Into Diamonds, also trained by Casse, nosed out Shadow Factor for second. First-time starter Empower rallied to finish fourth.
The final time for the 7 ¼-length romp was 1:04.60.
“He was doing really well in the morning, not fast, but trying to figure out if he had to be on the lead,” said Husbands. “And every time I worked him, he showed me that he has to be on the lead, you know. But he’s showed he’s a nice little horse.”
Mensa, bred in Florida by Beth Bayer, arrived at the Victoria off a sixth in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 2.
He broke his maiden in his career bow on April 12 at Gulfstream Park, a three-length triumph at 4 ½ furlongs on the dirt, with Husbands in the irons.
John Stewart, of Resolute Racing, was at Woodbine to watch Friday’s dominant performance.
“He started pulling away, and I was like, ‘This is awesome.’ I know there are different tactics for different horses, but he ran a great race. He really did it easy. We’re seeing some good things out of him. We’re really excited for what is next in store.
The ridgling, a $740,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale, is by Complexity, a first out winner at 2 and a Grade 1 winner at 2 in the Champagne Stakes. He is a half-sibling to two stakes horses, Recruiter, and Miss Sayely, who broke their maidens at 2 and were stakes winners or stakes placed at 2.
Mensa paid $5.30 for the Victoria win.
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