Woodbine: Hard Spun mares are victorious in Fashion, Matron
In an exciting upset, Spun Glass came from off the pace to win the Grade 3, US$109,741 Ontario Fashion Stakes for fillies and mares going six furlongs Saturday on the Tapeta course at Woodbine.
It was one of the two wins by Hard Spun mares Saturday at Woodbine. Millie Girl was a winner in the Ontario Matron (G3).
Click here for Woodbine entries and results.
Spun Glass, a 6-year-old Hard Spun mare trained by Michael Trombetta and owned and bred by Larry Johnson, achieved her seventh win and first graded-stakes victory. She had not been back to Woodbine since winning an allowance race in October 2020.
After an even break, Hard Edge led the field with Loyalty in second and Hazelbrook in third through the first quarter-mile in 22.54 seconds. Spun glass, with Luis Contreras aboard, was second to last.
Spun Glass took the turn from the inside, making her way into fifth. The time at the half-mile was 44.24 seconds. Loyalty was first followed closely by Hazelbrook in second, Ready To Venture in third and Hard Edge in fourth.
In the homestretch Spun Glass came through the center of the field to win by a half-length. Awesome Treat was second, Loyalty third and Hazelbrook fourth. The winning time was 1:08.64.
“She broke really good, so I just let her go at whatever speed she was comfortable”, Contreras said of his first time on the mare. “Once I was in the post parade I got a good feeling of her and just went from there.”
Spun Glass paid $57.20 to win.
Millie Girl closes to win Ontario Matron
Millie Girl, under Rafael Hernandez, rallied late to take the US$109,741 Ontario Matron (G3) for fillies and mares racing 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track.
From post 8, Millie Girl broke in the center of the field. With Angelou in the lead, the opening quarter-mile went in 24.53 seconds Angelou continued to lead with Tamarama following closely behind and Souper Hoity Toity and Il Malocchio battling for third. The field made it to the half-mile in 48.87 seconds. Millie Girl was third to last.
Millie Girl started to make ground around the turn, moving up to fourth behind Angelo in first, Mouffy in second and Il Malocchio in third. Down the stretch, Millie Girl flew past the leaders on the outside, winning by a nose at the wire. Angelou was second, Il Malochio third and Mouffy fourth.
The final time was 1:35.75.
“I thought when she got into the clear she would run them down but they weren’t coming back to her very quickly, and I thought, ‘Uh-oh, we might be in trouble here.’ But she still found a way to get there”, said winning trainer and co-owner Catherine Day Phillips, who never lost confidence in the 5-year old daughter of Hard Spun. “She’s run very hard. We’ve always believed in her so much and really felt that she deserved to be a stakes winner and a graded-stakes winner now. I’m very happy for her.”
Millie Girl paid 10.70 to win.
Day Phillips, through her Kingfield Racing Stable, co-owns Millie Girl with Braconcrest and Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds. This was the mare’s fourth win and her first stakes victory after finishing third in both the Royal North Stakes (G2) and the Nassau Stakes (G2) and second in last month’s Seaway Stakes (G3).