Following her sensational debut outing in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park in May, BULLET (War Front) was expected to head to Royal Ascot in England since she had earned a free berth to a stakes there.
But D J Stable and Mark Casse instead mapped out a three-race series at Woodbine in Toronto for the grey flash, who overcame a slow start in the Royal Palm to win by 2 1/4 lengths. That series of races began Saturday with the $125,000 My Dear Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. Under Patrick Husbands, Bullet broke better from the gate than first time out, tracked the speed of Carlisle Bay and they reeled that rival in as the field turned for home. She strolled to a 4 1/4 length win in 1:04.85 over a slow Tapeta surface.
At 3-to-5, Bullet paid $3.10.
The lone Ontario-bred filly in the field, SOUPERGIRL, was a closing second for Mark Cornett and Agave Racing, who recently purchased the daughter of Souper Speedy from breeder Northern Dawn Stable and Krista Cole. Carlisle Bay, trained by Barb Minshall for Hoolie Racing Stables, was third.
BULLET cost $25,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale and she was bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. The grey gal is the second foal from the mare MARLINSPIKE, a winner of two races from five starts. Marlinspike is by Tapit and the mare’s half-brother, Irish Surf, won the Cougar II Handicap (G3).
Second dam of Bullet is Grade 1-winning filly SURFSIDE, who is a daughter of champion FLANDERS, winner of the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
LICKRISH FILLY WHIPS BALLADE STAKES RIVALS
Gordon and Elizabeth Lickrish seem to have made the Ballade Stakes their own. Their homebred mare PLEASURE’S GOLD stormed to victory in the 2024 Ballade Stakes, an Ontario-sired event, on Saturday Woodbine, the second time in four years the couple have won the race. In 2021, GOLDEN VISION, a half-sister to Pleasure’s Gold won the Ballade and both are trained by Tino Attard.
Pleasure’s Gold, who won the Rondeau Bay Stakes two years ago and two allowance/optional claiming races in 2023, was second in her 2024 opener and then a troubled seventh in her latest. When the Ballade Stakes lost its favourite, Miss Speedy, at scratch time, the race become any gal’s race.
And when Indian Music and Foolish Games went headlong into a maniacal pace battle (22.2, 44.27 over a slow Tapeta surface) the stretch runners, including Pleasure’s Gold, were loving it.
“I couldn’t really see her,” said Elizabeth Lickrish, remarking on her mare and jockey Rafael Hernandez being some nine lengths behind the speed.
Gordon had the binoculars and had his eyes on his mare, who powered wide past rivals to go on to a three-length victory over Piano Bar Stables’ Talk to Ya Later and Brian Cullen’s Lantana Lady. “The pace was so fast,” said Gordon. “Pleasure’s Gold ran a terrific race and Rafael rode a terrific race.”
Pleasure’s Gold has six wins from 18 starts and now $307,171 in earnings. She is from the Lickrish-bred GOOD AS GOLD, a daughter of Petionville, who won two races.
Rafael Hernandez won four races on Saturday.
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