TORONTO, October 11, 2025 – Shotgun Wedding, ridden to perfection by Keveh Nicholls, earned her first stakes victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Damsel, for 3-year-old fillies, at 1 1/16 miles over the Woodbine main track. After early splits of :23.21, :47.12 and 1:12.31 set by No Time, Shotgun Wedding, at 7-1, glided up to the pacesetter around the turn for home, then burst to the lead early stretch en route to a three-quarter of a length score in a time of 1:44.23. Tiz Her Money rallied to finish second, a neck in front of stablemate No Time. Cue the Duckboats was fourth. “She relaxed really good for me today,” said Nicholls. “I always wanted to get her to the outside – she loves to be on the outside. Once I got down the back and approaching the three-eighths pole, I saw a nice gap, and she just rolled up there nicely and went on with it. “She just kind of idled a bit once she got the lead. Once she heard them coming back, she kind of kicked back on again.” Trained by Jamie Begg, who co-owns (Begg Racing) with Windways Farm and Upland Flats Racing, the daughter of Mendelssohn out of the Speightstown mare Reluctant Bride is now 3-3-3 from 12 starts. It was the sixth straight top-three performance by the chestnut, who posted a half-length win at 6 ½ furlongs on the Woodbine main track on September 7 and followed it up with a second, a half-length back of the winner, over one mile on the Toronto oval inner turf on September 21. “I have always really liked this filly,” said Begg, who celebrated his first Woodbine stakes triumph. “I thought she wanted two turns all along. When horses are doing well, I like to run them. This spot came up and it worked out.” Bred in Kentucky by Deron Pearson and Patrick Biacone LLC, Shotgun Wedding, who finished third in last year’s Catch a Glimpse Stakes and fourth in this year’s Ruling Angel, paid $16.60 for today’s win. Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications Share This:Share
