Sealy Hill roars in Woodbine Oaks; Casse, Husbands sweep stakes

Melnyk Racing Stables' homebred SEALY HILL (Point Given) swept to the lead

turning for home and streaked clear to a 4 1/4-length win in the C$502,000

Woodbine Oaks over the Polytrack on Sunday, giving trainer Mark Casse and jockey

Patrick Husbands a sweep of the three stakes events held at Woodbine. Sealy Hill

rated in fourth early under Husbands as 7-5 choice Street Sounds (Street Cry

[Ire]) led the field through ambitious splits of :23 2/5, :46 4/5 and 1:11 for

the opening six furlongs, with Saskawea (Stormy Atlantic) in close attendance.

As the leaders began to slow, the Casse charge took over with ease and opened up

a clear lead within the matter of a few jumps. The 7-2 second choice, who

completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 3/5, paid $9.70, $5.20 and $3.30.

Saskawea re-rallied in the stretch to finish 4 1/4 lengths clear in second,

worth $6 and $3.20 while completing the $46.20 exactor at nearly 6-1. Street

Sounds held on for the show, paying $2.50 and finishing off the $109.80 triactor

in the process. Christies Treasure (Belong to Me) rallied from well back to

finish fourth and was trailed by Quiet Jungle (Forest Wildcat), Dance to My Tune

(Stravinsky), Love You Crazy (Touch Gold), Suva (Vying Victor), Fuhrleen (Langfuhr)

and Belleplaine (A.P. Indy), while Palace Pier (Out of Place) was withdrawn.

Sealy Hill was unplaced in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in her most recent effort,

but annexed the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup S. (G3) in her try prior to that. The sophomore miss

was also victorious in the Glorious Song S., and sports a 7-4-1-1, $520,387,

career mark. Produced from the stakes-winning Boston Twist (Boston Harbor), the

Ontario-bred has an unraced two-year-old half-brother named Pengola Court

(Silver Deputy).

Four races prior in the C$103,600

Alywow S., Woodford Racing LLC's SILKY

SMOOTH (Mr. Greeley) closed with a strong rush to get up by a head beneath

Husbands, giving the owners their second tally of the day. Also conditioned by

Casse, the three-year-old miss sat well off the pace for the opening half-mile

before putting in her winning run, completing the 6 1/2 furlongs on the firm

turf 1:15 3/5. Sent off at 8-1, the winning chestnut paid $18.30, $7.40 and

$5.10.

Silky Smooth captured her first stakes race in here, following a runner-up

effort in the Star Shoot S. two prior. The Kentucky-bred now boasts $135,327 in

earnings from a 7-2-2-0 lifetime mark. She is out of 1999 Prioress S. (G2)

winner Sapphire N' Silk (Pleasant Tap), making her a half-sister to Grade 2

star Shaniko (A.P. Indy).

Starting off the banner day for Casse and Husbands was Woodford

Racing's APPROVAL RATING (Lemon Drop Kid), who made an explosive move in the

lane to take the C$125,800

Victoria Park S. by five lengths. The sophomore colt

rated off the pace early prior to putting away his rivals with a deadly turn of

foot, getting nine furlongs over the Polytrack in 1:50 4/5. The 6-5 favorite

rewarded his backers with mutuels of $4.50, $3.10 and $2.10.

Approval Rating was a good second in the Marine S. (Can-G3) in his latest

effort before earning his initial stakes score in here. The Florida-bred

chestnut also owns a placing in the Display S. and boosted his bankroll to

$190,795 from an 8-3-1-1 career line. The winner is out of the multiple

stakes-placed Classic Approval (With Approval), and is a half-brother to

two-time Grade 3 hero Gulch Approval (Gulch).