Lexie Lou crowned in Queen's Plate

However, Lexie Lou marked herself as one to watch when running faster in the

Woodbine Oaks than We Miss Artie did earlier on that same day in the Plate

Trial. The filly finished nine furlongs on the Polytrack in 1:49.77 while We

Miss Artie's final time was 1:50.78, setting up a confrontation for Sunday's

"Gallop for the Guineas."

Unfortunately, We Miss Artie reared at the break and found himself in the

rear when the field crossed in front of the stands for the first time on Sunday.

Jockey Patrick Husbands settled Lexie Lou into midpack as Asserting Bear led the

way over the Polytrack through splits of :23 1/5, :47, 1:11 2/5 and 1:36 4/5.

Coltimus Prime and Cap in Hand were keeping close attendance early before the

latter backed off and Heart to Heart moved up to take his spot.

The only filly in a tough field Canadian-bred colts and geldings, Lexie Lou

came wide around the turn and ended up bumping with Asserting Bear in upper

stretch. That didn't faze her, though, and the bay miss took over midlane. She

easily pulled off, eventually crossing under the wire 1 1/2 lengths clear of

Ami's Holiday while stopping the clock for the 10-furlong event in 2:03 4/5.

"Everybody left there (the gate) running. My filly was so

relaxed," Husbands said. "I had so much confidence in her going into this race.

I begged Mark at the (post position) draw, I just want the outside.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to ride for these connections and Mark. I

called everybody in (my native) Barbados on Saturday to say I was coming home to

celebrate the Queen's Plate."

Sent off the 3-1 second choice, Lexie Lou paid $8.20 for Sunday's win. Ami's

Holiday had 1 1/2 lengths to spare on Asserting Bear, while We Miss Artie

managed to rally for fourth. Completing the order of finish were Niigon Express,

Lions Bay, Matador, Heart to Heart, Coltimus Prime, Athenian Guard, Cap in Hand,

One Destiny, Man o' Bear and Tower of Texas. Majestic Sunset was eased in the

stretch, finished the race and walked off.

"We had a poor start from the gate. My horse was in the right position to go,

but unfortunately he broke straight in the air and I lost the entire race as

soon as they opened the gate. It was hard to make up ground as the track played

speed all day long," explained Javier Castellano, who was aboard We Miss Artie.

"I think with the big field, my horse got a little nervous in the gate. He

completely sat down behind the gate. That's why he broke straight in the air. It

took a lot out of him. He was too far behind, I lost a lot of ground going

around horses."

Lexie Lou began her career with trainer John Ross, taking her maiden debut

last May at Woodbine before finishing eighth in the Shady Well a couple months

later. Ross decided to add blinkers to her tack and the bay miss responded with

a fourth-placing in the Nandi next out.

She earned her first black-type score when elevated to first in the Muskoka

25 days later and took second in both the Victoria Queen and Princess Elizabeth

before making the penultimate start of her juvenile season a three-length

victory in the South Ocean just 22 days later. The oft-raced filly concluded

2013 with a close third-place effort, just three parts of a length behind the

winner, in the Ontario Lassie on December 14.

Lexie Lou made her three-year-old bow in the April 19 Star Shoot, crossing

the wire in fourth, but was purchased after that and found herself in Casse's

barn. The horseman kept her in blinkers for her first start for new owner

Barber, and the bay miss finished a half-length third in the Fury on May 10.

The blinkers came off for the Woodbine Oaks, a move that can sometimes

backfire in major races, but according to Husbands it made all the difference in

the nine-furlong contest. Lexie Lou was close to the early pace that day and

easily pulled off the 4 1/2-length victory.

Sunday's classic triumph in the Queen's Plate also came without blinkers, and

Lexie Lou is now 5-2-2 from 12 career starts having nearly doubled her lifetime

earnings to $1,172,658.

Bred in Ontario by Paradox Farm, Lexie Lou was purchased by her original

owner for $5,610 as an Ontario September yearling. She is out of the winning In

Excess mare Oneexcessivenite and counts as her second dam Grade 2 victress

Favored One. Farther back, Lexie Lou's female family is also responsible for

champions Bayou and Smart Deb as well as Broodmares of the Year Levee and Delta.

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