Taquanyah and jockey Leo Salles winning the Eternal Search. (Michael Burns)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Taquanyah, under Leo Salles, rallied stoutly down the lane to win the $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes, for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, Saturday at Woodbine.
Lady in Red, a last-time out winner, and multiple stakes winner Olivia Rose showed early speed in the 7 ½-furlong inner turf feature with Lady in Red crossing over to take control into the first turn.
At the opening quarter, reached in :22.87, Lady in Red was 1 ½ lengths clear of 4-5 choice Olivia Rose, followed by longshot Foolish Games and Frac Amour, while Salles settled his charge in sixth of nine.
Lady in Red held a half-length advantage over Olivia Rose through a half in :45.72, with the next closest pursuer, Foolish Games, six lengths behind the latter.
Around the turn for home, Lady in Red, under encouragement from Austin Adams, dug in along the rail, while Olivia Rose looked to reel in the frontrunner. Midway down the lane, a host of rivals, including Taquanyah, fourth in last year’s running of the Eternal Search, enveloped the leaders.
At the wire, Taquanyah, trained by Saul McHugh, fended off a late surge from Tito’s Calling to win by three-quarters of a length. Talk to Ya Later finished third, a neck in front of My Girl Sky.
The final time over firm ground was 1:30.04.
It was the first stakes crown for the 6-year-old daughter of Silent Name (JPN) out of the Lookin At Lucky mare Pretty Bird.
“Saul told me, ‘Please just take your time with her, you know her very well,’” said Salles. “I’ve already got a couple wins with her, and I love the way she breezed last time. I came in very confident. And thank God, that pace was very fast, and everything cooperated for us.”
Owned by Robyn Brohman, who co-bred with McHugh, the bay mare is now 5-3-4 from 22 starts.
“We know her well,” said McHugh. “We bred, own her, we do everything. And she’s actually a very easy horse to train once you get to know her. We were coming in with a sound horse, very fresh legs, and I knew I had her ready.
“We’re a very small operation. I’m merely only the captain at the helm. I’m very happy for everyone else, and very proud of my horse.”
Added Brohman, “It’s huge. She’s our first homebred to ever make it to this level, and it’s fantastic.
Taquanyah, who debuted on July 25, 2021, and broke her maiden that October, paid $14.10 for the win.
The race is named after the three-time Canadian champion, purchased at age two for $50,000 by 2010 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Mel Lawson, who raced her under his Jim Dandy Stable banner. Eternal Search retired from racing with 15 stakes victories and posted a record of 18-11-2 from 44 starts. She was trained by Ted Mann, who became a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1982.
