Classy Gem overcame an unsteady start, seized the lead entering the lane, and drew off to a comfortable victory in the second race at Assiniboia Downs on Saturday to become the first winner for Canadian champion and freshman sire Perfect Soul (Ire).

Trained by Carl Anderson for Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Bennett, Classy Gem scored by 3¼ lengths in her career debut under Mark Anderson and completed the five-furlong maiden special weight race in 1:01 on a track rated as fast. The Kentucky-bred filly is one of two winners from as many starters out of the unraced Dehere mare Classiest Gem.

Perfect Soul is a ten-year-old by Sadler’s Wells out of the Secretariat mare Ball Chairman, whose dam is stakes winner A Status Symbol. He stood the 2008 season for $15,000 at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington. Perfect Soul has 86 two-year-olds in his first crop.

A homebred campaigned by Charles Fipke, Perfect Soul won three of eight starts in 2003, including the Shadwell Keeneland Turf Mile Stakes (G1) and King Edward Breeders’ Cup Handicap (Can-G2) at Woodbine en route to Canada’s Sovereign Award as champion turf male. Winner of the 2004 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in a turf course record time that has yet to be eclipsed, Perfect Soul finished second in the ’04 Atto Mile Stakes (Can-G1) before concluding his career with an overall record of seven wins in 21 starts and earnings of $1,527,764.