TORONTO, Canada – Barbadian jockey Patrick Husbands produced a searing ride aboard 3-1 bet Lexie Lou to score an emphatic victory in Sunday’s prestigious CAN$500 000 Woodbine Oaks, Canada’s richest race for Canadian-bred fillies.
Going a mile and eighth on polytrack, Husbands stalked from second with the bay filly before overtaking pacesetter Wild Catomine on the final turn and widening to win by 4-1/2 lengths in one minute, 49.77 seconds.
The victory was Husbands’ third capture of the Woodbine Oaks, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara series, with all coming in partnership with celebrated trainer Mark Casse.
Husbands, who finished third with Lexie Lou in the $150 000 Fury Stakes last month, said taking the blinkers off the filly had been important.
“When Mark bought this horse, she had run with blinkers. So when I worked her, I said she doesn’t need blinkers. So, last time she never relaxed [racing with blinkers on],” Husbands said afterward.
“Today, [she had] no blinkers. We worked her twice since the last race without blinkers – no problem. In the post parade, she was relaxed.”
Husbands broke Lexie Lou sharply, tucking her in behind Wild Catomine who sprinted through fractions of 23.25 seconds for the first quarter and 47.98 for the half-mile.
Unspurned stalked from third with favourite Paladin Bay tracking from fourth, as the field headed down the backstretch.
On the final turn, Husband swept the filly to the front inside the quarter pole and pulled away, drawing to the rails and reaching the finish under a steady left-handed whip to win handsomely.
Lexie Lou’s connections will now decide on if she takes a shot at the million-dollar Queen’s Plate on July 6 or the second leg of the Triple Tiara, the Bison City Stakes a week later.
“I’ve won a lot of races for Mark but he’ll have to decide where she should go next,” Husbands said.
Husbands first won the Woodbine Oaks with Kimchi in 2006 before following up the next year with the outstanding Sealy Hill, when he also cattured the Triple Tiara.
The day and weekend proved a rewarding one for the 41-year-old Husbands, who also captured the $125 000 Bold Ruckus Stakes on Saturday with Flashy Margaritta.
On Sunday, he won a triple on the 11-race card. (CMC)
