Windward Islands was a resplendent repeat winner of Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Nijinsky Stakes, at Woodbine.
Ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson for trainer Mark Frostad, Windward Islands, at 7-2, collared the favoured Fifty Proof, at the midpoint of the long E.P. Taylor Turf Course, to notch his first win of the 2011 campaign. Hailstone was third.
Windward Islands, a seven-year-old gelded son of Cozzene, found the wire in a winning time of 1:49.82 over a course listed as ‘yielding’. It was the sixth lifetime win from 22 starts for Windward Islands.
The long-striding Fifty Proof, with new rider Luis Contreras, led the field through steady opening fractions hitting the quarter in :25.47 and a half in :49.39. Jesse Campbell kept close watch on the leader with Hailstone sitting just off Fifty Proof’s right flank. Down the backstretch, Wilson patiently stirred Windward Islands into motion along the rail with Silver Rock matching her move in a four-wide position. The white-faced Fifty Proof led the field to the top of the stretch marking three-quarters in 1:13.23, but could not hold off a quick-striding Windward Islands who angled off the rail and scored a three-quarter length win. Fifty Proof held on for place, a neck in front of Hailstone.
Despite a rough trip from the gate, bumping with the imposing Fifty Proof, Wilson was able to settle the Sam-Son Farms’ gelding into a comfortable trip.
“My guy got his feet together, found his composure, and got into a nice settled spot,” said Wilson. “As we turned for home, he just had a nice angled-out position and he just powered home.”
Wilson, who rode Southdale to a third-place finish in the 2010 edition of the Nijinsky, was familiar with Windward Islands strong late kick.
“I remember the way he powered by me in last year’s Nijinsky on the yielding going,” recalled Wilson. “I was pretty confident that he could surge along pretty quickly down the lane.”
The Nijinsky Stakes score marked Wilson’s third win on the card. The veteran jockey would add a fourth victory, for the same connections, in the very next race guiding Magic Broomstick to an open-lengths win in a one-mile allowance event on the turf.
Windward Islands returned $9.70, $3.20, $3, combining with Fifty Proof ($2.70, $2.50) for a $29.60 (3-2) exactor. A 3-2-6 (Hailstone, $3.80 to
show) triactor was worth $153.80.
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