Shake Down Baby and jockey Gerry Olguin made it look easy in the $200,000 OLG Muskoka Stakes for two-year-old fillies, drawing off by five and one-quarter lengths over favoured Crumlin Spirit in the six and one-half furlong event Wednesday at Woodbine.
Shake Down Baby, trained by Bill Tharrenos, broke her maiden in style in her fourth career outing in the Muskoka. The daughter of 2003 Canadian Triple Crown champion Wando, purchased for $4,600 at last year’s Yearling Sale, picked up $120,000 for the win and has now banked almost $150,000. She’d come into the Muskoka off a solid second-place finish to undefeated Caren in the Nandi Stakes on August 3.
First-timer Bearsatlanticmist set the pace, blistering through an opening quarter in :22.71 and getting to the half in a rapid 46 seconds. But Shake Down Baby, who had been placed outwardly in sixth early on, loomed up as the field turned for home and turned on the jets while cruising down the track, widening at will for the impressive score timed in 1:17.55 over the Polytrack.
Crumlin Spirit rallied for second, with longshot Lyla Lorraine a further two lengths back in third.
“She relaxed behind horses and I was just waiting for an opening,” said Olguin, who has been aboard the filly in all four starts.
“When it came, it was the perfect time. Willie (Tharrenos) said, “Gerry, I’m going to pick you a nice two year-old’ this winter in Florida. And he wasn’t kidding. He got me a nice one.”
Shake Down Baby returned $9.50, $4.20 and $3.20.
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