Regal Conqueror battled bravely down the lane to take the co-featured Ontario Damsel Stakes for Ontario-bred juvenile fillies, Saturday at Woodbine.
The William Sorokolit homebred, trained by Darwin Banach, was making her turf debut in the one-turn mile with Eurico Rosa da Silva in the irons. It was the second career stakes score for the Sky Conqueror chestnut, having notched a victory in September’s Victorian Queen Stakes, at Woodbine.
Fancy Ribbons set the pace in the Ontario Damsel marking off splits of :23.79 and :47.04, with Skylander Girl and Shezaghostslayer tracking her lead.
Skylander Girl took over from Fancy Ribbons at the top of the lane, but could not hold off a determined stretch run from Regal Conqueror who prevailed by a half-length in a final running time of 1:34.11.
Skylander Girl held for place over a determined Fancy Ribbons. The favoured Llanarmon never got untracked finishing fifth.
“She broke really sharp and then did today what she doesn’t do on the Polytrack, which is relax,” said da Silva. “When I put her behind horses, she was so relaxed. I had tons of horse and she ran brilliant today.”
Banach pointed to the filly’s superb turf breeding as a major factor in the result.
“Sky Conqueror was the best horse I ever trained. He made two million on the grass and her mum (Classic Stamp) made one million on the grass…” said Banach. “It was nice to see her come through on the grass and relax for Eurico like she did and pick it up down the lane for us.”
Regal Conqueror earned $90,000 in victory, improving her record to three wins from six starts.
She paid $16.20, $7.10 and $7.60, combining with Skylander Girl ($8.20,$8.40) for a $121.20 (5-3) exactor. A 7-2-3 (Fancy Ribbons, $7.10) triactor was worth $436, while a $1 Superfecta [7-2-3-4 (Lapsang] came back $1647.50].
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