Mutamakina, Our Flash Drive Take Down Woodbine Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Mutamakina wins the Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine
Mutamakina and Our Flash Drive helped to boost the undercard of the Aug. 22 Queen's Plate at Woodbine, respectively taking the Dance Smartly (G2T) and Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T), both restricted to females.
Mutamakina, given a strong tactical ride by Dylan Davis, took charge in the CA$180,950 (US$141,127) Dance Smartly straightening for home and held sway for a half-length victory in the 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares on the E.P. Taylor turf course.
Invading from Saratoga Race Course for trainer Christophe Clement, Mutamakina held off fellow Spa shipper Etoile , who won last fall's E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) over the same course and distance.
Alnaseem led through fractions of :25.98, :50.32, and 1:14.07, with Mutamakina just one length back.
"I saw (Alnaseem) had some good speed," said Davis, who rode his first stakes winner at Woodbine. "I broke well (and) was able to get a good stalking position right there. (Mutamakina) did switch her leads down the backside a few times. She just needed a little bit of guidance. I had to get into her early. I was a little worried about that. Once she straightened up, she saw where she needed to go and she ran very strongly to the wire."
Mutamakina reached the mile in 1:37.13 and led by two lengths with a furlong to run before finishing in 2:01.26 over a firm course.
Etoile, the 6-5 favorite for trainer Chad Brown and rider Irad Ortiz Jr., saved ground in fifth early and launched a bid around the final turn but could not reach the winner. Merveilleux , based locally with conditioner Kevin Attard, finished well to be third, just a neck behind Etoile.
Mutamakina returned $8.80 on a $2 win bet.
A 5-year-old bred in England by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is by Nathaniel out of the Danehill mare Joshua's Princess, who foaled a Camelot colt this year.
Mutamakina, who began her career in France before joining Clement in the fall of 2020, holds a 4-3-3 record from 15 starts and has earned $343,680. The Dance Smartly was her second graded win on this side of the pond, following the Long Island Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack last fall in her only previous partnership with Davis.
"I'm just happy to be back aboard her," said Davis. "It's just nice. She's progressing well. She's definitely a hard trier—you just got to know how to ride her. She always gives a good effort and Clement had her ready today."
The Dance Smartly was the first leg of this year's Ladies of the Lawn, in support of ReThink Breast Cancer. The series continues with the Sept. 18 Canadian Stakes (G2T) and concludes with the Oct. 17 E. P. Taylor Stakes.
The owner of the horse who has accumulated the most points in the series will receive a CA$50,000 bonus, with the owners of the second and third-place horses receiving CA$15,000 and CA$10,000, respectively.
Video: Dance Smartly S. (G2T)
Our Flash Drive Makes it Three in a Row
Live Oak Plantation homebred Our Flash Drive , under Patrick Husbands, was full of run down the lane en route to an impressive win in the CA$150,000 (US$116,989) Ontario Colleen Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, collecting her third straight win.
Our Flash Drive takes the Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine
One of two Mark Casse trainees in the seven-horse field, Our Flash Drive broke well and was positioned second, as Sweet Souper Sweet , also owned by Live Oak Plantation, grabbed the lead in the one-mile turf test, and took her rivals through an opening quarter-mile in :24.42. Sweet Souper Sweet continued to lead the proceedings after a half in :48.35, as Husbands bided his time with Our Flash Drive.
Speightstown Shirl and Perseverancia followed in third and fourth, respectively, while 8-5 choice Misspell was called upon by Irad Ortiz Jr. as the field rounded the turn for home. Husbands had Our Flash Drive rolling for the long drive home, and the daughter of Ghostzapper responded in kind, separating herself from her rivals with ease, going on to a 1 1/2-length triumph in a time of 1:34.76 over firm going.
Seasons rallied to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Speightstown Shirl.
"I breezed her on (Aug. 14) … when I got back to the barn, my head was bigger than Woodbine," said Husbands. "I said 'Mark, this is a Breeders' Cup horse.' She just loved (the turf).
"She's a relaxed horse. We had a couple of horses we worked—I was behind them about 10, 15 lengths and she was just wanting the green light. I said, 'No baby, no baby, no baby' … She's the type of filly that, what you want to do, she'll let you do. But she's pretty savvy racing and you can decide what to do with her."
Our Flash Drive returned $6.90 to win. She upped her record to three wins in five starts with earnings of $180,937.
"She's the type of filly that has a very serious streak in there," said Husbands. "She doesn't like horses running with her; she doesn't like horses at all. I was getting out of the paddock early, and then getting to the gates she just started. And we just hope that she gets right past."
Bred in Florida, Our Flash Drive is out of the Dynaformer mare Dynamotor, who has a yearling full sister to the Ontario Colleen winner and an Omaha Beach filly foal. Dynamotor was bred back to Omaha Beach for 2022.