Wild Catomine outdueled Hot and Spicy and the favoured Lexie Lou in a spirited three-pronged stretch run to capture Saturday’s $150,400 Fury Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner John Oxley, Wild Catomine arrived at the seven furlong ‘Poly’ stake for three-year-old Ontario-bred fillies off of a winning debut on April 19 in a maiden allowance sprint.
The Fury is a key prep race for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, which is slated for Sunday, June 15.
Wild N Clever, sent to the lead by Emma-Jayne Wilson, set swift splits of :22.35 and :44.52 as Wild Catomine, with Gary Boulanger up, sat just off her flank waiting to pounce.
Into the turn, Lexie Lou, with Patrick Husbands in the irons, made a menacing three-wide move, while Luis Contreras urged Hot and Spicy along the rail to join the frontrunners at the top of the lane.
Wild Catomine edged clear of Wild N Clever as the field straightened away and then dug in bravely to fend off the advancing Hot and Spicy to earn a half-length victory with Lexie Lou a further neck in arrears. Wild Catomine covered seven furlongs in 1:22.42.
Boulanger was content with his position sitting just off the speed of Wild N Clever.
“I had a great trip. She broke good and I figured Emma (Wilson, on Wild N Clever) would be the speed, so I tracked her,” said Boulanger. “She’s worked in the morning beside horses and behind horses, so she’s well-schooled that way. She showed a lot of class.”
Wild Catomine, a bay daughter of Milwaukee Brew-Smart Catomine bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. and Rod Ferguson, banked $90,000 in victory and remains undefeated through two lifetime starts.
She returned $13, $6.80 and $3.90, pairing with Hot and Spicy ($5, $3.60) for a $53.20 (6-1) exactor. A 6-1-7 (Lexie Lou, $2.50 to show) triactor was worth $125.80. Gdansk completed a $1 Superfecta (6-1-7-5) worth $403.20.
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