Elizabeth Way Digs In for Nassau Stakes Win
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Elizabeth Way (inside) wins the Nassau Stakes at Woodbine
Elizabeth Way got up in the final strides to steal the spotlight in the CA$177,100 (US$129,382) Nassau Stakes (G2T) featured on the June 27 program at Woodbine.
Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson worked out the winning trip in the one-mile turf event for fillies and mares for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield and owner John McCormack.
Elizabeth Way was led along by pacesetter Another Time through a quarter in :24.41, a half-mile in :46.92, and three-quarters in 1:09.61 before digging in down the stretch and getting up to collar the frontrunner by a neck in 1:33.26 on a firm course.
A confident Wilson, who studied replays and spoke with the chestnut filly's trainer to determine the winning strategy, said she knew Elizabeth Way had a chance to catch the frontrunner and was happy to have another horse lead her along throughout the race.
"Her form is all over the place—one minute she's on the lead, one minute she's at the back of the bus. Watching the replays gave me a real understanding as to what she needed to do," Wilson said. "It was really about getting her into a good rhythm, and that's what Roger and I talked about as well. I got her out of the gate … and just got her happy into a rhythm, and, you could see, she just galloped them down and she just kept on. She's a stayer."
Favorite Malakeh followed the winner's cover and rallied home for third, and Amalfi Coast closed from the back to finish fourth. Nantucket Red and Eyeinthesky completed the field.
Elizabeth Way is a 4-year-old Godolphin-bred daughter of Frankel out of the Giant's Causeway mare Maids Causeway, a winner of the Coronation Stakes (G1). She started her career in her native Ireland and ventured to Woodbine after making four starts in the U.S. this year under Attfield's care. Following a maiden-breaking score when trying 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Gulfstream Park, she won The Very One Stakes (G3T) next time out in late February over 1 3/16 miles.
The victory Saturday was her third in 10 starts and boosted her bankroll to US$205,048. The filly was purchased by John McCormack Bloodstock for US$64,220 from Godolphin's consignment to the 2019 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.
The Nassau is the first leg of Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series, which offers CA$75,000 in bonuses to the top performers based on points accumulated in the designated graded turf routes for fillies and mares (10 points for first, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth, two points for fifth, and one point for sixth through last).
The second leg of the series is the Aug. 15 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), followed by the Sept. 12 Canadian Stakes (G2T) and Oct. 18 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T).