Curvy shows her class in the E.P. Taylor

Favoured Curvy, with world champion jockey Ryan Moore aboard, took over in late stretch to win the $500,000 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine on Pattison Canadian International day. 

At the finish of the mile and one-quarter turf classic for fillies and mares, Curvy, the 2-1 choice, was a comfortable one and one-half lengths to the good over Talmada, with pacesetter Rosalind just another neck back in third. Strut the Course, the sole Canadian-bred in the line-up who went postward the 7-2 second choice, finished a gallant fourth, only a further neck behind. The final time was 2:02.88 over a ‘good’ E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Curvy, a three-year-old British-bred daughter of Galileo, had finished a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park on October 3 in her North America debut.  But the turf that day was very soft.  Sunday’s turf condition was much more to her liking and she proved it.

Longshot Rosalind led the field of 12 throughout most of the trip, taking her rivals through easy fractions of :25.08, :50.28, 1:14.93 and 1:39.63, while being shadowed by Lacy and Yaazy.   Meanwhile, Curvy, positioned in eighth by Moore, patiently bided her time until mid-stretch, when she found a seam, exploded to the front between horses and edged away for her first Grade 1 score.

“I was following a wall of horses,” said Moore.  “She’d won a Group 2 at Royal Ascot but the ground at Belmont was too soft for her.”

Moore, who had only ridden Curvy once before, that being a winning ride in the aforementioned Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot on June 18, thus remained perfect on the David Wachman trainee.  It was also the first E.P. Taylor win for her connections, including owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.

 It was her fifth win in 11 career outings as she’s now banked over $620,000, including today’s $300,000 winner’s share.   Curvy joins a long list of exceptional recent winners of the E.P. Taylor, such as Canada’s Horse of the Year Arravale in 2006, Mrs. Lindsay in 2007 and last year’s victress, Just The Judge.

Curvy paid $6.90. $4.80 and $3.50, combining with Talmada ($9.80, $6.30) for a $72.80 (9-12) exactor.  A 9-12-2 (Rosalind, $8.40) triactor returned $1,184.50 while a $1 Superfecta [9-12-2-6 (Strut the Course)] came back a healthy $3,804.20.

Source: Woodbine