Velvet Mood, with Pablo Morales in the irons, held off a furious rally from Stormy Perfection to win Saturday’s co-featured $129,000 My Dear Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Timothy Hamm for owners Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm LLC, Velvet Mood arrived at Woodbine for her Canadian debut from a pair of off-the-pace wins at Presque Isle Downs.
Forest Circle was sent to post as the 4-5 My Dear favourite on the back on a field-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure earned at Arlington Park. However, the front-running filly hopped at the start of the six furlong Tapeta sprint for juvenile fillies and had to settle behind the early speed of White Tights and Raglan Road.
Velvet Mood settled into third position and waited patiently for her cue as White Tights rattled off splits of :22.82 and :46.63. White Tights led the field through the turn as Velvet Mood and a wide-rallying Goldrush Glory launched their bid with a bottled up Forest Circle and Stormy Perfection waiting for racing room. Once clear, Stormy Perfection surged into contention but Velvet Mood had the jump and dug in gamely to earn a neck score. Stormy Perfection held place by a 1/2-length over Raglan Road. Velvet Mood covered six furlongs in 1:12.41.
Morales guided the bay daughter of Lonhro to a similar stalking score last time out in a 5 1/2-furlong Presque Isle Downs allowance event.
“She’s super easy to ride. She does whatever you ask her to do and has been so classy since day one,” said Morales. “I knew I had a lot of horse today and that I was going to finish running. I just figured I’d get a clear spot behind the speed and she would respond, and she did.
“She dug in the whole way,” continued Morales. “As soon as the horse (Stormy Perfection) came to her outside, I kept asking her for more and she kept giving and giving right to the wire. She just wouldn’t let them go by.”
Bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms LLC, Velvet Mood is out of the Bernardini mare Zayanna who went winless in two career starts.
“This is our first stakes win in Canada,” said Siena Farms co-founder David Pope. “Her dam raced here (at Woodbine) early on and had great potential but had a few setbacks. It’s really nice to come back here with her daughter and win.”
Hamm credited Velvet Mood’s ability to settle with securing her first added-money score.
“From her first race, we decided to tuck her in and teach her how to rate rather than sending her and I think that paid off big today,” said Hamm.
Velvet Mood banked $75,000 in victory while remaining undefeated in three starts.
She paid $19.40, $6.70 and $3.90, combining with Stormy Perfection ($8.10, $4.50) for a $131.80 (4-3) exactor. A 4-3-2 triactor (Raglan Road, $3.30 to show) was worth $507.70, while a $1 superfecta 4-2-3-6 (Green Freedom) came back $906.50.
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