NEWS
Hooh Why takes care of business in Seaway
Posted: Saturday, September 04, 2010 5:04 PM
HOOH WHY
Michael Burns/WEG photo
To view the Seaway Stakes, click here.
by Ron Parker
Battling early with 1.15-to-1 favorite Tribal Belle, Hooh Why fought her way to the front and held off a pair of late challengers on Saturday to win the $155,363 Seaway Stakes (Can-G3) at Woodbine.
Owned by Derby Daze Farm, Mark Hoffman, and Earl Trostrud, the four-year-old Cloud Hopping mare was caught in a speed duel in the seven-furlong contest before gaining the lead through a half-mile in :44.81.
In the stretch, Tribal Belle was unable to match strides with the winner as Mother Russia took up the chase and Indian Apple Is mounted a rally from last in the five-horse field. Hooh Why held her advantage under Emile Ramsammy to post a 1 ¾-length victory, covering the distance in 1:23.51 on the synthetic Polytrack surface.
Indian Apple Is edged Mother Russia by a head for second with another three lengths back to Tribal Belle.
Hooh Why was saddled for the first time by trainer Donald MacRae after part-owner Mark Hoffman asked him to care for the filly.
“Mark and I are friends,” MacRae said. “He was leaving her up here for a bit and he had to go out of town. He left her with me. Mark and I talk every day. I kept her under his program. I just had to keep her happy. She’s a classy filly.”
The Seaway was the second graded stakes victory and third stakes win overall for Hooh Why, who captured the 2009 Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Race Course and has placed in nine other stakes.
The Florida-bred is out of the unraced Corporate Report mare Magic Merger and increased her earnings to $724,210 with six wins from 22 starts.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
