Curlin’s Voyage not smooth but filly gets the money via DQ in Mazarine Stakes

TORONTO, October 5, 2019 – Curlin’s Voyage, interfered with by an erratic Skygaze in early stretch, finished second but was promoted to the top spot in Saturday’s Grade 3, $145,250 Mazarine Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack.

The stewards hung up the inquiry sign immediately after Skygaze hit the wire in a time 1:43.30 for the 1 1/16-mile race for two-year-old fillies. They were looking into not only the stretch incident but also the run around the first turn, when Skygaze dropped over sharply and forced Take Charge Eh to take up.

Eurico Rosa da Silva, aboard Curlin’s Voyage, and David Moran, rider of third-place finisher Take Charge Eh, also lodged claims of foul and the stewards upheld both complaints, with Skygaze being placed third.

“I think this filly is still very immature,” said Curlin’s Voyage’s conditioner Josie Carroll. “She’s still figuring out how to run, as you saw down the lane when that horse sort of came in front of her and it took her a long time to get her momentum back. She’s still figuring it all out.

“I think she settled better than the last time, but I think she’s still a filly with a bright future that has a lot to figure out.”

Take Charge Eh was first to show but was quickly joined by Skygaze, who committed her first misdeed when moving to the rail without sufficient clearance.

Skygaze maintained command through a quarter in :23.87 and a half in :48.20, and six furlongs in 1:12.66 while pressed by Take Charge Eh and longshot Glorious Gizmo.

Take Charge Eh had taken a seat on the rail with Curlin’s Voyage poised to strike from fourth on the outside.

Curlin’s Voyage launched her move around the final turn and looked to have Skygaze at her mercy when they straightened out for home. Skygaze, however, veered out sharply, bumping with Curlin’s Voyage and forcing that one to switch paths to race inside her erratic rival.

Skygaze led by 1 ½ lengths at the stretch call and by two at the wire but there seemed to be little doubt about his ultimate fate.

Take Charge Eh ended another 5 ¼ lengths back in third prior to be moving up to the runner-up spot, with Special Honor closing from last in the field of six to grab fourth money.

Roman d’Oro and Glorious Gizmo completed the order of finish.

Curlin’s Voyage became the 13th stakes winner of the meeting for leading rider Da Silva.

A homebred who races for Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings Inc., and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin’s Voyage was making her fourth career start and coming off an impressive maiden win at 1 mile and 70 yards. The Ontario-bred filly’s first two outings came in sprint stakes, as she ran third in the Shady Well after debuting with a second-place finish against males in the Victoria.

A logical spot for the Curlin-Atlantic Voyage filly’s next engagement would be the $225,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, a 1 1/16 mile race restricted to Canadian-bred two-year-old fillies here October 26.

“Certainly that’s a race that I’m sure we’ll be looking at,” said Carroll. “(Hill ‘n’ Dale master) John Sikura breeds such a good horse that it would be really nice to get something like that done for him.”

Curlin’s Voyage returned $4.20, $2.70 and $2.30 and fronted a $17.60 3-1 exactor with 7-1 chance Take Charge Eh ($5.70, $3.80). Skygaze ($3), the 2-1 second choice, completed a 3-1-2 exacta of $44.30 with Special Honor rounding out a 3-1-2-5 superfecta worth $51.15 for $1.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine on Sunday afternoon with the $225,000 Cup & Saucer Stakes headlining the 1:05 p.m. program.