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Romance Is Easy Conquers All in Filly Turf Dash
Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 12 years 1 week agoIt came down to the final few yards but Romance Is Easy captured the $750,000 Grade I Steward’s Cup Filly Turf Dash for two year olds. The stalwart bay filly romped the 5 ½ furlongs home in 1:04 flat much to the pleasure of her owner Justin Turner who weaved his way skillfully down three flights of stairs and then an overflowing crowd at the winner’s circle nestled in the heart of Toronto Racecourse.
Turner purchased the winner for $943,000 when she was but a yearling and her early works showed immense potential once he combined regular doses of Lasix and fixed her up with a stylish looking shadow roll. When she hit the racetrack, she never looked back winning her first five races before reaching the pinnacle of her first competitive season. She broke her maiden first time out in the Dark Fantasy Stakes and then continued onward winning four other stakes including the Canto Stakes by a neck over Steel Toe Boots nearly three weeks before the Steward’s Cup.
African Horse of the Year Silent Partner who dominated that continent during most of his earlier racing career sired Romance Is Easy in his fourth crop. Broodmare Effortlessly (by Champion Male Turf Horse Tulloch) also produced the likes of South Pacific Champion Two Year Old Male Ambitiously whose sired over 40 foals in his first crop so far.
Being undefeated Romance Is Easy looked to be a favorite in this race but several other fillies factored heavily too including A Shoe Sale.
This grey filly bred and owned by Steph Lonhro has won five out of her first six starts going into this race. She broke her maiden handily by two lengths in the Full Belly Stakes and then proved dominant after that losing only to Girlfriend in the Australian Sires Stakes. Last time out, she had defeated Perfect to a Tee in the Bullet Bus Stakes and looked to be formidable in the Steward’s Cup. She’s by Lonhro’s own stud, Work Shoes who’s proven to be quite the sensation already and out of A Bus mare Awing.
Alex Puderbaugh brought her homebred bay filly Girlfriend in the race, a nice runner boasting royalty in her bloodlines. She’s by top sire North American Champion Turf Sprinter Perfect Night and out of a top A Bus mare named Love. This multi-titled champion mare has been just as dominant in the breeding shed producing stakes winners like Llamrei and Steward’s Cup Turf Sprint entry Ardency. So far, Girlfriend had won four out of five of her starts including the Australian Sires Stakes over A Shoe Sale and the Instant Millions Juvenile over male racers.
A field of 11 runners proceeded to the starting gate and when the gates opened, the horses burst out eagerly beginning the race. Devine Superstar took the lead quickly and was followed by A Shoe Sale and the two made a bold statement by setting the early pace as the horses headed into the backstretch with Lahinch and Romance Is Easy cruising behind in third and fourth. Girlfriend settled back further still in seventh as the horses made their way down the racetrack heading into the final turn. A Shoe Sale used that stretch of real estate to seize the lead from Devine Superstar and then increase it to 2 ¼ lengths. But Romance Is Easy stayed a nostril away from third place Star Crossed Love in the capable hands of jockey Brian Turner who had been given vigorous instructions by her owner before the race.
As they headed down the stretch, Turner the owner began cheering his horse down the stretch and Romance Is Easy responded by kicking her speed into the next gear and prevailing at the wire with the sounds of thundering hooves behind her.
A Shoe Sale finished second, by a ¼ length having survived her earlier duel with Girlfriend kicking it hard in the stretch as well to edge out Perfect To a Tee for the third spot by a ½ length. Turner made it to the winner’s circled just in time and was hoisted over the mob of onlookers by good Samaritans excited to see the victory ceremony.
Afterward, the winner took off to head towards her reserved stall at Willow Downs in New York to recover and prepare intently for her sophomore debut next season.