Hillaby Rises to Occasion in Bessarabian Win

Favored Hillaby, produced by 2007 Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, registered her first graded stakes win with a powerful stretch-running score in the $205,481 Bessarabian Stakes (Can-II)  Nov. 16 at snowy Woodbine.



Trained by Mark Casse, the bay daughter of Distorted Humor   ran seven furlongs over Woodbine's Polytrack in a swift 1:21.44 with Patrick Husbands aboard. The 4-year-old filly runs for Stonestreet Stables, who purchased her from breeder Eugene Melnyk in a dispersal at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer selected horses of racing age sale in July for $500,000 through Taylor Made Sales Agency.



Hillaby came out of a widening 4 3/4-length allowance score Oct. 19 over the track and has now won four of her past five races, all at Woodbine.



Sent to post as the 5-2 choice in the field of 11 older fillies and mares, Husbands allowed Hillaby to stalk the early pace in third on the outside as outsider Cryptic Message led through quarter-mile fractions of :22.76 and :45.19. 



Cryptic Message, with Eurico Rosa Da Silva up, opened up by 2 1/2 lengths at the three-eighths pole and attempted to sprint away from the field through the turn. But Hillaby ranged up on the outside with a menacing move to take command at the top of the lane.



Hillaby opened a sizable advantage in the drive before second choice Disco Barbie made some headway, but Hillaby came home a determined 2 3/4-length winner under steady handling by Husbands. Disco Barbie was a clear second under Trevor McCarthy, 1 1/2 lengths in front of the rallying Sky Treasure and Gary Boulanger.



"She left running, but I knew I couldn't go with Eurico (aboard Cryptic Message) so I tried to ease her back and get to the outside," said Husbands. "Jesse (Campbell, aboard Native Bombshell) did what he had to do to keep me in...but when Jesse went ahead, I put her back on her right lead and she just took me around there."



Paying $7, $3.40, and $2.90 across the board, Hillaby boosted her earnings to $260,314 while improving to 4-1-1 in seven career starts. Disco Barbie, who was also second in the Ontario Fashion Stakes (Can-III) in her most recent start Oct. 19, returned $4.10 and $2.60 while completing a $26.70 exacta. Third choice Sky Treasure paid $3.90 to show as bettors pegged the $108 trifecta correctly.



Silent Star finished fourth, followed by Cat Lore, Cryptic Message, Midnight Ballet, Native Bombshell, Strike the Moon, Dauphine Russe, and Grace Phil. Pirate's Trove was a stewards' scratch.



Hillaby was making her third start for Stonestreet Stables after previously racing for Melnyk, all for Casse who won the Bessarabian for the first time.



In her first start for her new connections, Hillaby finished sixth in the Avowal Stakes on turf as the favorite. However, she bounced back with a rousing pacesetting performance last time out to set up her Bessarabian breakthrough.



In addition to Horse of the Year of 2007, Sealy Hill was also champion 3-year-old filly, champion turf female, and the Canadian Filly Triple Crown winner. Sealy Hill's four offspring have done well at sale as well.



Three-year-old filly Paradise Alley, by Flower Alley  , sold for $320,000 to Bridlewood Farm at the same sale where Stonestreet purchased Hillaby, and she has won two of six starts this year. An unraced 2-year-old filly by Sky Mesa   named Belle Hill brought $250,000 from Aithon Stable, also at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer sale. Both were offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency. And True Elegance, a full sister to Hillaby, was a $500,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale by Dixiana Farms from the Gainesway consignment.