TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Legendary jockey Patrick Husbands flaunted his class at Woodbine here Sunday when he brought 5-1 choice War Painter with a daring late run to win the CAN$100 000 Victoria Queen Stakes.
Trailing the pack by four lengths with a half-mile left to run, Husbands bid at the top of the lane and steered the bay filly through a seam that opened up before running down pacesetter and favorite Olivia Rose to win by a length gearing down.
The pair completed the seven-furlong trip in one minute and 21:70 seconds.
“She broke [sharply], and I just wanted to see how the race would unfold,” Husbands said afterward.
“She was just watching them the whole way and started to get away from me, and I chirped at her, and she responded.
“She then picked up the race but started to loaf [a little], but she won easily. I knew I was on a nice filly.”
Up against the two-year-old fillies in race nine, Husbands broke War Painter slowly as Olivia Rose produced the early splits of 23:70 seconds for the quarter and 46.85 for the half, under pressure though from Never Silent, with Fourfiftyfour also stalking.
Never Silent drew level with Olivia Rose at the top of the stretch with Fourfiftyfour still challenging, but Husbands roused his filly, and she responded superbly, threading a thin opening created by Never Silent and Hurricane Clair to storm to the finish.
The 50-year-old Husbands had earlier tasted success in the $111 600 race three, also over seven furlongs, when he combined with favorite Jayhawk to beat the two-year-old maidens by two lengths.
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