CTHS Yearling Sale graduate Shake Down Baby, sold privately over the winter to Cheyenne Stables, made a successful return to Canada to win Sunday’s $127,000 La Prevoyante Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Christophe Clement, the Wando bay arrived at the one-mile turf event for Ontario-sired sophomore fillies from a narrow nose defeat in the turf Drumtop Stakes at Suffolk Downs on August 6.
Shake Down Baby made four juvenile starts at Woodbine, winning the Muskoka Stakes, a main track sprint, on September 2 for former trainer William Tharrenos. She then made a pair of sophomore starts at Gulfstream Park, winning a 7 1/2-furlong turf allowance before being sold. Shake Down Baby rallied to be third, placed second via disqualification, in the grassy Sanibel Island Handicap at Gulfstream while making her debut for new connections on March 26 and was subsequently freshened for her Suffolk Downs effort.
Multiple stakes winner Generous Touch was away awkwardly in the La Prevoyante as Sparkles’ Girl sprinted to the lead from the outside post in a field of 13. Sparkle’s Girl, winner of the Ontario Lassie Stakes, set a strong pace in the one-turn mile under pressure from Pure Purity, as Shake Down Baby, piloted by Alan Garcia for the first time, stalked the leaders from a three-wide position.
Sparkles’ Girl led the field to the top of the lane but when Garcia pressed the button, Shake Down Baby responded with an impressive turn of foot to take command for a comfortable 2 ¼-length win. A ground saving Niigon’s Touch, with Gary Boulanger up, angled off the rail for the stretch run and closed to complete the exactor by a neck over Pure Purity. Shake Down Baby covered the mile over a firm E.P. Taylor Turf course in 1:35.70.
“She broke a step slow, but she was so comfortable,” said Garcia. “I know I lost a little ground, but I had plenty of horse. She did an amazing job and I was so proud of her. She was so happy to be back home. She was the best filly today.”
Shake Down Baby, bred in Ontario by Gustav Schickedanz, banked $75,000 in victory while improving her record to 3-3-1 from nine starts.
She paid $5.80, $4 and $2.90, combining with Niigon’s Eclipse ($8.90, $7.30) for a $43 (11-3) exactor. An 11-3-12 triactor (Pure Purity, $8.40 to show) was worth $448.80, while a $1 Superfecta [11-3-12-13 (Sparkles’ Girl)] came back $1386.75.
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