Moonlit Promise Continues Win Streak in Bessarabian

Late-season starter Moonlit Promise earned her third stakes win of the year in as many starts Nov. 26, as she held off Scotty's Model with a gritty performance in the $175,000 Bessarabian Stakes (G2) at Woodbine.

Josie Carroll trains the Malibu Moon  filly, who started her 4-year-old campaign with stakes wins in the Sept. 17 Sweet Briar Too Stakes and Oct. 28 Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3).

With regular reinsman Gary Boulanger aboard for Sunday's seven-furlong test, Moonlit Promise kept tabs on pacesetter Perdona while racing to her outside in second place through early fractions of :23.08 and :45.24. The Carroll trainee collared the leader in the final turn en route to victory in a final time of 1:21.79 on the all-weather track.

"She's a pretty tough filly," Boulanger said. "She put me in a good comfortable position early on. She kind of got to the front and got waiting a little bit today, which is unusual for her, but we learn things about horses every day. She showed me she has a lot of grit and I'm just very lucky I get to ride such a nice filly."

Scotty's Model made a late run, but came up a head short. Sister Nation closed inside to take third-place honors over Boreale. Sugar Jones, Crumlin Spirit, Perdona, Minks Aprise, and Liberty Kitten completed the order of finish.

"I think when she made the lead early, she got a little overconfident," Carroll said of Moonlit Promise. "I saw her ears kind of prick and I thought, 'Uh oh. She thinks this is it.' But then she heard that horse beside her, and I don't think she would have let her by."

Moonlit Promise was the 8-5 favorite and paid $5.40, $3.10, and $2.30, while Scotty's Model brought $4.70 and $3.30, with Sister Nation returning $3.40.

Out of the Smart Strike mare Smart Surpirse, Moonlit Promise now boasts six wins to go along with a pair of runner-up finishes from nine starts. She has boosted her lifetime bankroll to $332,702 for breeder Hill 'n Dale Equine Holdings and co-owner Windsor Boys Racing.

"She's just a really exciting filly," Carroll said. "She's a very tough filly. Billy O'Connor, my exercise rider, does a great job keeping her under control. She's strong, but she's not silly. She just wants to go do it. She just loves to run and that's what she wants to do."