TORONTO – Barbadian rider Patrick Husbands combined with 9-5 choice Fashionably Fab to crush the three-year-old fillies and win the CAN$100 000 Ashbridges Bay Stakes at Woodbine in Canada.
In one of two added-money races on the day’s nine-race card on Friday, the 50-year-old stalked the pace with the dark bay filly before accelerating in the stretch and pulling away to win by 6-1/2 lengths in a time of one minute, 44.34 seconds.
Favourite Tito’s Calling finished second while 33-1 longshot Seattle Causeway ran third.
“Today I tried to make sure I didn’t take a hold of her. I tried to ride her like the best horse,” Husbands said afterwards.
“I just kept her in the clear and she got the job done. She turned out to be a nice filly.”
Seattle Causeway broke well to lead the field, producing fractions of 25.28 seconds for the quarter and 49.67 for the half-mile, with Fashionably Fab on her flank, 5-1 bet Veri Gizmo just off the pace in third and Tito’s Calling and Souper Sinclair battling for position.
The race quickened at the three-eighths pole, Husbands taking aim at the leader and Tito’s Calling taking closer order.
Fashionably Fab then headed Seattle Causeway on the final turn and came away with the lead, dominating the stretch run with a superb turn of speed to be without a challenger at the wire.
The victory was the third successive stakes win for Fashionably Fab following her conquests in the Rondeau Bay at Fort Erie on September 12 and the Eternal Search on October 22 at Woodbine.
CMC