TORONTO – Favourite Spring In The Air, under Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands, outlasted 10-bet Smartfly in a stretch duel to win the CAN$150 000 (BDS$297 599) Fury Stakes last Saturday.
Going off at odds of 4-5, the country’s reigning champion two-year-old filly tracked the leaders down the backstretch before bursting into contention at the top of the lane, out-running Smartfly with Eurico Rosa da Silva aboard, to reach the wire by half-length.
Husbands and Spring In The Air covered the seven-furlong trip in a time of one minute, 23.51 seconds.
“Down the backside she was travelling so nice and easy, and we weren’t going that fast. At the top of the lane, she was still waiting on Eurico’s horse and I had to really get into her,” Husbands explained afterward.
“At the top of the lane, Eurico had me, but my filly wasn’t giving up. After the race she galloped out great, so she’s back to herself.”
Nadurra, ridden by Jamaican Jermaine Bridgmohan, and Aunt Els, set the pace in the early stages, covering the first quarter in 23.74 seconds and the half mile in 47.25.
Husbands kept Spring In The Air free of trouble from third on the outside before setting her down for the drive at the top of the stretch.
Smartfly also responded but failed to match the impressive Mark Casse-filly in the final strides.
Husbands has two added money wins for the season which started April 20.
Meanwhile, in England, Sky Lantern won the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday, giving champion jockey Richard Hughes his first victory in an English classic.
Sent off at 9-1, Sky Lantern finished strongly to edge Just The Judge by a half-length, with Moth third in the race for fillies.
Hughes had never won one of the five flat-racing classics and said “it’s taken a long time . . . I believed in this filly . . . It’s thoroughly deserved.” (CMC/AP)