Mouffy fights for victory in the bet365 Dance Smartly (Grade II) Stakes (Woodbine/ Michael Burns Photo)
Bill Tallon, for Woodbine Communications
TORONTO, Ont. – Mouffy gave jockey Vincent Cheminaux, trainer Jonathan Thomas and owner and breeder George Strawbridge, Jr. a sibling turf-stakes double as she hung in gamely for a head victory in the $200,000 bet365 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), Saturday at Woodbine.
But unlike her half-brother Truly Quality, who had kicked off the celebrations as the 9-5 choice in the Singspiel (G3T) two races earlier, Mouffy was prevailing at a price of $30.80 while racing in a solid field of 12 fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles of good going on the E.P. Taylor turf.
Both Truly Quality and Mouffy had another thing in common Saturday as they both came from well off the pace to prevail.
“With her, it was a little more expected,” said Thomas, who had watched Mouffy close from well back. “The other horse runs a little closer, and she was always traveling on the bridle.”
Longshots had been prominent in the early stages of the Dance Smartly while Mouffy bided her time from near the back of the pack through fractions of :23.06, :47.60 and 1:11.85, but was rolling on the outside coming into the stretch.
“I thought there was a good pace, which she needs to kind of relax,” said Thomas. “And I thought Vincent did a great job of saving ground and then tipping out onto the part of the track that’s probably a little firm, and it really helped accentuate her turn of foot.”
Nadette (FR), who had trailed the field, also finished very strongly to just miss giving trainer Neil Drysdale a Dance Smartly double as he sent out Miss Dracarys to take last year’s renewal.
Tax Implications (GB) finished third, 2 ¼ lengths back, but was demoted to fourth behind Fev Rover (IRE) following a claim of foul by jockey Sahin Civaci, which was upheld by the stewards.
Fev Rover, Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year and headed for the auction ring in Kentucky this fall, finished gamely in her final race.
Millie Girl, who had loomed a serious threat on the inside around the final turn, ended fifth and was followed home by Mission of Joy, Princess Calla (SAf), Canisy, Queen Macha, Spansive, Sparkle Blue and Dolce Sopresa. The final time was 1:42.07.
Mouffy, a Kentucky-bred 5-year-old, was recording her first graded stakes score in the Dance Smartly and bumping her record to 6-4-0 from 14 starts.
The bay had finished second in Santa Anita’s Grade 2 Buena Vista over one mile of good going at Santa Anita this spring and captured Aqueduct’s listed Perfect Sting under similar conditions two starts back.
In her most recent outing, Mouffy had finished a non-threatening ninth in the Ladies Turf (G3) at Kentucky Downs.
“Kentucky Downs is probably the one place you can forgive a horse for really not showing up,” said Thomas. “It was a little soft that day, hot. It was uncharacteristic for her to run like that, so we’ve, just gave it a pass and wanted to make sure we got her back on a good turf course.”
Thomas also pointed out the importance of Mouffy’s victory beyond the immediate moment.
“They better put the mare in bubble wrap,” said Thomas. “We’ve tried to resume build with her, because she’s an Uncle Mo out of a really nice Smart Strike mare. And while we want to win races, we also want to make sure she earns her way into a brood mare band.”
