Will She, patiently handled by Jesse Campbell, settled off a hot early pace before pouncing to an open lengths score in Sunday’s co-featured $150,000 Fanfreluche Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Mike Keogh for owner-breeder Gustav Schickedanz, Will She arrived at the six furlong Tapeta sprint for Ontario-bred juvenile fillies from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes. Sent to post at odds of 7-1 in the Fanfreluche, Will She, racing on the main track for the first time, reverted back to the excellent form of her winning debut to score an 8 3/4-length win.
Heard That, the 1-5 mutuel favourite, was away alertly with Will She and Sassy Ombre soon converging in a three-horse battle for the lead. Campbell took back with Will She while Patrick Husbands, aboard Sassy Ombre, pressed the accelerator and zipped through splits of :21.23 and :44.32 leaving Heard That to chase from second.
Campbell asked Will She for her best run late in the turn and the chestnut responded with a powerful turn of foot, taking command at the top of the lane, and surging home a comfortable winner. Green Freedom closed from well off the pace to earn second money, by a nose, over Heard That. Will She covered six furlongs in 1:10.06.
The well-bred Will She, by Wando out of Sweet Bama Breeze, is a full sister to the good allowance winner Sweet Grass Creek. In the 2015 Queen’s Plate, a headstrong Sweet Grass Creek powered to the lead under Campbell before fading. Will She pulled a similar move on Campbell last time out in the Natalma.
“She kind of locked on the bit with Jesse and was gone,” said Keogh of the Natalma effort. “It was Just like Sweet Grass Creek, her full brother, did in the Plate. Cutting back to six furlongs today really helped.”
Keogh, who trained Wando to a memorable Triple Crown run in 2003, allowed Campbell the freedom to choose his own strategy in the Fanfreluche.
“Mike said ‘You ride the race you need to ride,'” offered Campbell. “He has a lot of confidence in me and he lets me ride. It helps. Big thanks to the barn, these guys put their athletes first and it shows.”
Will She, bred in Ontario by her owner, banked $90,000 in victory while improving her record to two wins from three starts.
She paid $16.30 and $7.10, combining with Green Freedom ($4.30) for a $46.30 (2-5) exacta. A 2-5-1 trifecta (Heard That) was worth $93.90. There was no show wagering.
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