TORONTO – Kinghaven Farms homebred Seductively kicked off her four-year-old campaign in style, winning the April 15th Grade 3, $155,800 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine by 2 1/4 lengths.
The six-furlong Polytrack event was the second career stakes triumph for the Thunder Gulch filly, who also won the Grade 3 Selene Stakes at 1 1/16 miles last May.
While the Ian Black trainee conquered the Selene with a crafty wire-to-wire trip, the Ontario-bred earned the $105,000 share of the Whimsical purse with an off-the-pace journey.
Down the backstretch, Seductively was nestled in between Hide and Chic, on the inside, and Spanish Lullaby, to her outside. Meanwhile, about 1 1/2 lengths in front of the white-blazed winner, longshots Summer Girlfriend and Cut the Mustard were in a serious tussle.
Jockey Gerry Olguin, who was aboard for both of the filly’s stakes tallies, said his mount was itching to join the front-end fray, which resulted in fractions of :22.87 and :46.60.
“She was aggressive. She wanted to climb over top of horses, actually. She settled in nicely, and after about a quarter-mile, and she was just waiting for me to turn her loose,” said Olguin, who enjoyed a successful winter season at Santa Anita.
At the quarter pole, Olguin asked Seductively for her best and she delivered, seizing a 1 1/2-length lead inside the final furlong.
Hide and Chic chased her home in the stretch, but was second best. Despite the speed duel, Summer Girlfriend stayed on bravely for third.
The final time for six furlongs was 1:12.27.
Black, who now has two wins and two seconds from five starts in 2007, wasn’t sure if his filly would be able to win at a distance that was shorter than her best.
“I was worried that we wouldn’t get up. She was sitting so comfortably behind those horses. It was a great performance,” said Black.
Just to add a touch of intrigue to the Whimsical drama, Seductively’s usual gate antics were on display before the race. Just like last year, the starting gate crew led her around to the front of the gate and backed her into her stall.
“We’ve spent a lot of time trying to get her to load from the back,” explained Black. “Finally they gave up, I guess, and backed her in again. She backs in fine. We’re trying to get her to come in from theother side so she doesn’t have to stand in there for so long – they load those horses first.”
Black was originally farm manager for Kinghaven and donned the trainer’s hat in 2005, winning three races in 26 starts. The Whimsical is his second stakes triumph.
With the victory, Seductively raised her record to four wins from 14 starts, increased her earnings to $508,445 and provided Kinghaven with its first Whimsical score.
Seductively’s dam, Torrid Affair, finished second to Mysterious Affair in the 2001 edition of the Whimsical.
Seductively returned $14.70, $6, $4.30. Combined with second favorite Hide and Chic ($4, $3.10), the exactor was worth $50.60. Longshot Summer Girlfriend ($9.40) completed a triactor worth $523.20.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
