Woodbine: Mohawk Trail, Loyalty win Saturday’s graded stakes

Mohawk Trail was full of run late to take the Grade 3, US$113,374 Ontario Colleen Stakes on the turf Saturday at Woodbine.

Fresh off a score in the Alywow Stakes on June 25, the bay daughter by Pioneerof the Nile out of Iroquois Girl looked right at home again in the mile for 3-year-old fillies.

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Trained by Kelsey Danner for NBS Stable, the 11-1 long shot was seventh through opening splits of 24.68 and 47.87 seconds. Queen Picasso, undefeated in two starts, looked in control traveling over ground listed as good.

Rounding the turn for home, 6-5 favorite and first-time Woodbine starter Queen Picasso dashed away from her eight rivals. Adam Beschizza, aboard Mohawk Trail, began to cut into the deficit midway down the stretch and eventually struck the front in the late going on the way to a 1 1/2-length win.

Queen Picasso was second, a head in front of Love to Shop. Ryder Ryder Ryder finished fourth.

With a time of 1:34.68, Mohawk Trail paid $25.60 to win.

Beschizza, who was aboard for the win in the 6 1/2-furlong Alywow, felt confident the filly could handle the longer distance against tougher competition.

“I had a discussion with Kelsey, and she said, ‘Do we stay where we are, or do we stretch her out a little bit?’ ” Beschizza said. “And the discussion was to go obviously a mile. She’s starting to mature a lot more. She has a great will to win, which stacks up in her favor, so that’s half the battle with these horses.

“When she had a target in front of her there the last eighth of a mile, she dug deep. Like I said, she is definitely maturing in the right direction. Good on Kelsey. She’s done a great job with her.”

Mohawk Trail, bred in Florida by Westbury Stables, is 9: 4-1-1. She broke her maiden in December going one mile on the Gulfstream Park turf.

Loyalty wins again, this time in Hendrie

Loyalty put on another stellar showing, this time winning as the even-money favorite in Saturday’s US$113,374 Hendrie Stakes (G3), a 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint for fillies and mares.

Trained by Josie Carroll for owners Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, the 4-year-old daughter of Hard Spun out of Slew’s Quality was making her second start of the year. She won by 3 1/4 lengths June 25 to kick off her 2023 season.

The duo of Clitheroe and Hard Edge dueled for the early lead. Loyalty was positioned along the rail in third through an opening quarter-mile in 22.92 seconds. The frontrunners continued their front-end tussle while Kazushi Kimura aboard Loyalty was content to watch the proceedings from just off the pace.

Around the turn, Miss Speedy loomed a menacing presence to the outside, but Kimura and Loyalty came charging along the inside and took command just after the stretch call.

At the wire, Loyalty was a 2 1/2-length winner at 1:15.61. Clitheroe was second, and Talk to Ya Later rallied to best Miss Speedy by a head for third.

“I would say that she was the best in the field,” Kimura said. “She’s quite easy to ride. She was able to stay close, and also if there’s space, she’s able to go in the lead. There were so many options for me. She was feeling comfortable, so comfortable behind the frontrunner. She was able to take a step outside and find a hole and just showed me an amazing race. It was perfect.”

Bred in Florida by Best A Luck Farm and Godolphin, the dark bay is 8: 6-0-1. Her victories include the Lady Erie at Presque Isle in August and the Duchess Stakes in October at Woodbine.

Loyalty, who debuted with consecutive Woodbine victories in the spring of 2022, paid $4.30 for the win.