Gutsy Filly takes Lady Crocus

Second-time starter Filly triumphed despite a first-over slog from the quarter in the Lady Crocus Stake for Canadian-owned or sired three-year-old pacing fillies at Miami Fair on Saturday.

Sent off as the co-favourite at even money, Filly started fourth for Glenn LeDrew as fellow chalk Millies Million (Michel Ray) darted out to an early lead. Millies Million and Love To Live (Dean Rey) paced away from the other five after a bobbled beginning, but Filly started cutting into the gap after finishing the first quarter mile in :29.1.

Filly made swift inroads and arrived at the leader’s wheel as they passed the half in 1:01. With the challenger providing pressure on the backside, Rey asked Millies Million for further speed but got little. Filly struck the top going by three-quarters in 1:30.3, cleared on the final turn, and extended her winning margin to about five lengths in a 2:01.1 victory.

Millies Million finished second over State Your Case (Tyler Grundy), who finished third.

Trevor Williams owns, trains, and bred Filly, a daughter of Blue Burner. Filly went wire-to-wire in her debut and is now two-for-two lifetime. She paid $4.20 to win on Saturday.

That score split a three-race run of winner’s circle visits for Williams and LeDrew, who teamed on Read The Proposal (1:59) in the fourth race Open and Farmerstrikesfame (2:02) in the sixth.

Miami Fair will be back with more stakes action on Saturday, Jul. 10 with the Golden Boy Sires Stake for Manitoba-sired sophomore male pacers and the Silk Lace Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies sired in Manitoba.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink