Sky High Lady, despite missing the break, was full of run down the lane to win Saturday’s $105,400 River Memories Stakes, at Woodbine.
A John Oxley homebred trained by Mark Casse, the four-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa arrived at the River Memories off a similar last-to-first move in a grassy Kentucky Downs allowance tilt.
With rain falling at Woodbine, the River Memories was taken off the turf and raced at 1 1/16-miles on the ‘Polytrack.’ Morning line favourite No Explaining and long shot Chedington were scratched following the move.
Hobnobsnob set splits of :24.30, :48.07 and 1:12.32 with Logan’s Peak chasing his early speed, but there would be no denying the Oxley flag bearer who closed through the turn and rallied outside of traffic at the top of the stretch en route to a one-length win. Queen of the Waves was second, a length better than Part the Seas.
Sky High Lady covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:44.36.
Husbands wasn’t concerned to be trailing the field in the early running.
“She’s a happy filly and leaving there (the gate) she threw her head, but I didn’t worry about that,” said Husbands. “I had so much horse. A half-mile out I had so much horse. At the three-eighths pole I had so much horse but today the rail was golden and I didn’t want to go around.
“I’d rather go down the inside but I had so much horse at the quarter pole, I could take the short cut and get stopped there, but when I got in the clear she was the best.”
The River Memories score marked the fifth stakes win in October for Husbands who only recently returned from a broken leg suffered earlier in the meet.
“I’ve got more bolts than Canadian Tire right now,” joked Husbands. “I had two breaks and I have a screw (in my leg) that’s really aching me right now, but it’s far away from the heart.”
Sky High Lady banked $60,000 in victory, while improving her record to 4-2-3 from 16 career starts.
She returned $8.50, $4.20 and $2.70, pairing with Queen of the Waves ($4.30, $2.70) for a $30.90 (4-5) exactor. A 4-5-1 (Part the Seas, $2.30 to show) triactor was worth $52.60. Logan’s Peak completed a $1 Superfecta (4-5-1-8) worth $65.70.
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