River Maid, Charming Delilah secure stakes victories at Woodbine

River Maid wore down a game and determined She's Explosive in the final jump to win a thrilling edition of Saturday's co-featured $125,400 Ballade Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Robert Tiller for owner The Very Dry Stable, River Maid arrived at the six furlong Tapeta sprint on a three-race win streak. The four-year-old Where's the Ring bay completed her three-year-old campaign with an optional claiming score going seven furlongs over the Woodbine main, and carried that form into 2016 winning a five furlong allowance sprint and a 6 1/2-furlong optional claiming event.  

Sent to post at odds of 10-1 in the Ballade, River Maid, with Gary Boulanger up, settled into fifth position as Silent Treat and She's Explosive battled through splits of :23.23 and :46.03.  She's Explosive, with Luis Contreras up, took command through the turn as River Maid and Scotty's Model, under Alan Garcia, launched their bid.  The rallying pair raced in tight quarters through the turn with She's Explosive looking home and cooled out, but a resurgent River Maid found another gear to get up for a nose score.  River Maid covered six furlongs in 1:11.46.

"She didn't get away cleanly today, but I was always in good position. She gives you a good feeling and lets you know there's horse there," said Boulanger. "When Alan (Garcia, Scotty's Model) came to my outside it kind of intimidated her a bit, but she's just all heart and class. She gritted down and dug in and said I'm going to get this one."

Tiller owns the most Ballade victories of any trainer with four. He previously took the event with Anywhere (2012) and Brass in Pocket (2003, 2004). The Hall of Fame conditioner was pleased with the game effort by River Maid.

"She's a real sweetheart. We stopped her off a win last year which is very hard to do for any trainer. She just wasn't right, had some muscle issues, so we gave her the rest of the year off," said Tiller. "If I had a dozen like her the game would be easy. When that horse (Scotty's Model) came to the outside of her, I thought we couldn't win it but I knew she had heart and she dug in.  Gary rode a great race."

River Maid, bred in Ontario by Jay Cochlin, banked $75,000 in victory while improving her record to 6-2-1 from 10 starts.

 

She paid $22.70, $8.50 and $4.80, combining with She's Explosive ($14.60, $6.30) for a $258.70 (7-8) exactor. A 7-8-10 triactor (Scotty's Model, $4 to show) was worth $1116.30, while a $1 Superfecta [7-8-10-1 (Quidi Vidi)] came back $4991.90. Old Valyria, Letter Fly and Tahnee were scratched. 

Stronach Stables homebred Charming Delilah rallied up the rail to capture Saturday's $116,800 Sweet Briar Too Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Sid Attard, the five-year-old Stephen Got Even bay arrived at the seven furlong Tapeta sprint from an even fifth-place run in the Grade III Hendrie Stakes.  

Clarkston Hope and Green Doctor contested the early Sweet Briar Too pace through splits of :23.03 and :46.58 with Chic Thrill, the 8-5 mutuel favourite, tracking their early foot.  

Green Doctor took the field into the turn as Sam-Son Farm homebred Chic Thrill dug in and launched a menacing run.  However, Charming Delilah, patiently handled by Emma-Jayne Wilson from fourth position along the rail, found racing room as the field turned for home and Wilson urged the mare through for a comfortable 1/2-length score. Chic Thrill stayed on for place by ¾-lengths over Midnight Miley.  Charming Delilah covered seven furlongs in 1:25.64.

Wilson believes the mare had a good excuse for her rare off-the-board effort in the Hendrie.

"She broke a little funny last time, threw her head a touch, and hit her head on the side of the gate," said Wilson. "It took her a minute to recover. She didn't run her best race but she gave a solid effort despite the adversity and came back to run very well today."

Wilson, who won the 2015 edition of the Sweet Briar Too with Endless Light, was pleased with the trip she engineered on Saturday for Charming Delilah.

"I was travelling really handy in behind. I had a big opening so there wasn't too much of the kickback," said  Wilson. "She was pretty sharp in post parade so I knew she would be travelling along really well. The inside opened up easy enough and she dug in hard. It was a hard battle to get by the Sam-Son horse (Chic Thrill) but she fought hard, as she always does, and prevailed."

Charming Delilah, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, banked $72,000 in victory while improving her record to 4-6-1 from 12 starts.