Tu Endie Wei, recently crowned Canada’s champion two-year-old filly, celebrated the honour in style with a runaway five and a half length score in Saturday’s $166,000 Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine.
The Brereton Jones’ filly, trained by Reade Baker, took to the lead under regular pilot Jim McAleney in the six furlong main track sprint, marking a quarter in :23 with Casa Loma forcing the pace off her right flank.
Casa Loma pressured Tu Endie Wei through the turn, but McAleney asked his bay for more run and the filly responded with an impressive turn of foot, opening up three lengths at the top of the lane and powered home a dominant winner in 1:08.88. Casa Loma held on for second, two and three-quarter lengths in front of a rallying Logan’s Peak.
Baker was not surprised by Tu Endie Wei’s effort in her three-year-old debut.
“I thought she went super last start, last year (winning the Glorious Song Stakes),” said Baker. “It (the Glorious Song) was really a big race and she trains better and looks better than she did then, so I expected this.”
McAleney, who has steered Tu Endie Wei to added-money victories in the My Dear, Ontario Debutante and Glorious Song Stakes, knew he had plenty of horse following the moderate first quarter.
“It was so comfortable,” said McAleney. “Going down the backside, it was just like a horse loping to the pole to go for a work, that’s how she covered her first three-eighths of a mile. When you can get a horse to go like that in the first part of it, you know they’re going to sprint home and that’s exactly what she did.”
Baker noted that the next possible start for Tu Endie Wei could come in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on Sunday, May 13 at Woodbine.
Tu Endie Wei paid $2.50, $2.10, $2.10, combining with Casa Loma ($7, $4.20) for a $17.20 exactor. Logan’s Peak returned $7 to show.
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