Spring Venture stayed unbeaten while prevailing under a handride Saturday at Woodbine in the $201,000 Grade 3 Mazarine S., keying a Spring at Last exacta with Seaneen Girl rallying for second.
WinStar Farm’s young stallion Spring at Last has had an incredible past two days, with Spring in the Air taking the $400,000 Alcibiades S. (G1) yesterday at Keeneland. Spring at Last sits atop the Freshman Sire List with $934,072, nearly $350,000 ahead of his closest pursuer.
Sent postward the prohibitive 2-5 choice in a field of six two-year-old fillies over the mile and one-sixteenth Polytrack event, Spring Venture collared the pacesetter Shenandoah Lady turning for home, then, under some light tapping from Patrick Husbands, pulled away to a one and one-half length score over Seaneen in 1:46.74.
The win ran Spring Venture’s record perfect at three for three, including a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event, Woodbine’s Natalma S. three weeks ago
“Everybody’s looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup,” said Husbands. “I tried to give her an easy, easy race. She was so relaxed but at the half-mile pole, I squeezed her a little bit and she eased off. At the top of the lane, I got busy and she just got rolling again.
“It’s a great feeling to sit on these good horses (Spring Venture and Spring in the Air). All you can do is smile. Both of them are two good fillies. I’m only the pilot. Two nice fillies. I’ll leave it to (trainer) Mark Casse to say who is the better one.”
With the victory, the Kentucky-bred, co-owned by her breeder Stoneway Farm, along with Gary Barber, will set her sights on the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, set for Friday, Nov. 2.
With the $120,000 first place pot, Spring Venture pushed her bankroll to $303,540.
