Dreaming of Drew Wins Long Branch After 18-Month Layoff
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Photo: Michael Burns
Jockey Patrick Husbands guides Dreaming of Drew (inside) ahead of Jeanie B in the Long Branch Stakes at Woodbine
After 18 months since her last race, Dreaming of Drew picked up right where she left off, winning the CA$112,000 Long Branch Stakes on Woodbine's opening day April 16.
Despite missing a year and a half of racing, the 4-year-old filly out of Speightster , showed no signs of rust, leading for much of the race and retaking command after briefly relinquishing the lead to Jeannie B with a furlong remaining of the 5 1/2-furlong contest. Dreaming of Drew won by a neck, completing the distance in 1:02.99 on Tapeta following splits of :21.74 and :44.50.
Favored Our Secret Agent ran third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Imagery , Ima Beast , and Nikee Kan rounded out the finish of the short field.
Dreaming of Drew trainer Barbara Minshall told Woodbine's in-house broadcast of the stretch finish, "I knew she was going to run to the finish line, I knew that she was fit enough. She's a really game filly; she's not going to let them go by."
This was the Ontario-bred Dreaming of Drew's third win in six starts. She won her previous outing, the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, in October 2020.
Owned by Hoolie Racing Stable and Madaket Stables, The WinStar Farm-bred Dreaming of Drew paid $7.90 for a $2 win wager. She was ridden by Patrick Husbands, who rode two winners from his three mounts on Saturday.