Lexie Lou Goes Wire to Wire in Victoriana

Gary Barber's Lexie Lou made all the pace and repelled a stretch challenge from Internal Boubon to capture the $125,000 Victoriana Stakes July 30 at Woodbine. 

An Ontario-bred 5-year-old daughter of Sligo Bay  , Lexie Lou won by one length and covered the 1 1/16 miles race in 1:41.05 on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.  

Lexie Lou sprinted out to take command early and Internal Bourbon chased her down the backstretch, around the turn, and into the stretch—but she could not catch Canada's 2014 Horse of the Year, who won comfortably as the 1-5 favorite.

Husbands was all smiles following Lexie Lou's fourth win from five attempts the Woodbine grass course.

"Everyone knows she's a real champion and she's tough," he said. "She has such a high cruising speed and you can't fight with her. That horse (Internal Bourbon) came to her and I said, 'Come on baby, let's go.' and she just took off. After the race, the outrider had to pull her up for me. She's just a racehorse."

Lexie Lou was dominant in her 3-year-old campaign in which she earned Sovereign Award honors as Horse of the Year, championturf femlae and champion 3-year-old filly.  

Coming into the Victoriana off a dramatic 1 1/4-length score for trainer Mark Casse in the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-IIT) on the Queen's Plate undercard, Lexie Lou improved to 10-4-4 from 24 career starts. She was bred by Paradox Farm from the In Excess mare Oneexcessivenite.

Internal Bourbon, seeking a third consecutive victory and first in a graded race, stayed on for second, and Shesanaturalblonde rallied from last to be third, 2 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up.

In scoring for the third time in seven starts this year, Lexie Lou paid $2.70, $2.10, $2.10. Internal Bourbon returned $3.20 and $2.50 and Shesanaturalblonde paid $5.30 to show.