TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Woodbine legend Patrick Husbands notched yet another added-money triumph at the celebrated oval when he produced a patient ride aboard 4-1 choice Witwatersrand to win the CAN$150 000 Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes here Saturday.
Lacking racing room along the rails as the race turned for home, the 50-year-old Husbands swung the bay filly to the outside and surged to the wire to easily beat the two-year-fillies by 2-¾ lengths in a time of one minute, 43.72 seconds.
Favorite Tripolina ran second while 10-1 bet Mystic Lake, trained by Gulfstream Park-based Barbadian Saffie Joseph Jr, finished third.
“It doesn’t matter who she works with in the mornings. She plays with them,” Husbands said afterward.
“Last time I rode her, she went down the back trying to go head-to-head with Saffie’s horse.
“I took her back, and she spit the bit by the quarter pole, and she ran third and got beaten by about seven lengths.
“That taught her a lot because today I sat behind Saffie’s filly again, and when I squeezed her at the top of the lane, she just took off, showing me that is the filly from the morning [workouts].”
Going a mile and sixteenth in race nine, Barbadian Husbands broke the filly nicely from the inside post, but it was Mystic Lake who surged to the front, pulling the field through splits of 24.31 seconds for the quarter and 48.91 for the half.
Five-to-one bet Uphill Dance stalked from second on the outside while Husbands was statuesque aboard Witwatersrand down along the rails, with Tripolina just off his flank.
Coming off the final turn, Tripolina quickened on the outside to present a challenge, but Mystic Lake held firm in mid-stretch to lead by a length.
Witwatersrand appeared trapped along the rails until Husbands wheeled her into the two-path to clash, splitting Tripolina and Mystic Lane and drawing off under a hands-ride.
and then 