Inflexibility Takes Woodbine's Wonder Where

Inflexibility took the third leg of the filly Triple Tiara with a gutsy effort to win the $225,000 Wonder Where Stakes for Canadian-bred sophomore fillies July 30 at Woodbine, contested over 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

With jockey Luis Contreras aboard, the Chad Brown trainee out of Scat Daddy wore down race leader Enstone in a course record time of 1:58.88, besting the 2:00.12 set by Forte Dei Marmi in the 2013 edition of the Sky Classic Stakes (G2T). 

Enstone cleared Ellan Vannin during the :23.52 opening quarter as Mythical Mission stalked outside. As the field raced through a half-mile in :47.20 and three-quarters in 1:10.84, Inflexibility made a three-wide bid as a battle to the wire ensued past the mile marker in 1:34.62. Enstone maintained the slight advantage through the stretch, but Inflexibility got up in time to score the half-length victory. Mythical Mission finished third.

"I had a big hold pretty much half of the way in the backstretch," said Contreras, who was aboard the filly for the first time. "I didn't want to get too close, but I didn't want to be too far. I didn't want those horses to go without me.

"I got a perfect trip the whole way and she was pulling, she was pulling. She was really strong the whole way, I just had to ride hard to the wire because I thought I wasn't going to go past the other horse, but once we hit the last sixteenth of the mile, she was more confident with herself on the lead."

Unraced as a 2-year-old, Inflexibility has blossomed into a stakes-level runner following a pair of third-place finishes in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser and Queen's Plate Stakes. She now has two wins from five starts and earnings of more than $275,000.

For Contreras, the win was his fifth July stakes victory. His other July highlights include winning the Queen's Plate with Holy Helena and the Prince of Wales Stakes with Cool Catomine.

Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, Inflexibility is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Halo Verse. She was bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. and purchased by agent Mike Ryan at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2015 yearling sale for $340,000. 

Earlier in the program, Niigon's Eclipse won the $125,000 Victoriana Stakes for Ontario-sired fillies and mares by a neck going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

The 4-year-old chestnut filly left from post 10, stalking the pace three-wide as Miss Sea led the field with Hidden Turn pressuring by her side through the first three-quarters in :24.25, :47.57 and 1:11:61.

Turning for home, Niigon's Eclipse made an aggressive bid for the lead and took over in the stretch with Flipcup and Internal Bourbon closing for second and third, respectively. She completed the distance in 1:40.68.

"It was lucky leaving the gate since she was relaxed because she's an aggressive filly so going down the back she stalked good, but the fight was on full out in terms of the far turn," said Husbands. "Down there, she started to get aggressive and I was like 'oh, my God!' So she dragged me to the lead and I was hoping nobody was going to come and catch me, but she fought on."

Niigon's Eclipse, a homebred for Chiefswood Stable by Niigon out of the Hennessy mare Eclipse Bay, paid $6.10, $3.50, and $2.80.