Unbeaten filly wins Oakville

Extending her career record to a perfect six-for-six, the Jimmy Takter-trained Pampered Princess was very sharp in the $547,300(C) Oakville Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies Monday evening at Mohawk, as the daughter of Andover Hall notched a three-quarters of a length victory in 1:58.1

Rated two seconds slow and fully deserving of its "sloppy" tag, the track was very messy for the occasion, but that didn’t stop the Bob and David Anderson-owned lass from going first-up for driver John Campbell along the final turn and holding off a game Possess The Magic, who was steered by Mike Lachance.

Campbell, who after Pampered Princess’ Oakville elim had noted that he had yet to really ask the filly for much, mentioned in the post-race interview that he did indeed have to push the button on his mount for the first time.

“I did at the head of the stretch,” Campbell told Woodbine Entertainment’s Greg Blanchard. “I pulled the earplugs on her for the first time, and she obviously responded very well. She’s just a really professional filly to be able to go out and do her work the way she did tonight on that sort of track.”

Sand Lavendur Blu had cut the fractions in :29.1, :59.1 and 1:29, respectively, but it was Pampered Princess, a $240,000 Harrisburg purchase, who mowed down her rivals after taking her best shot from third just past the half-mile indicator.

”She’s passed every test so far, and the field and the track were a monumental test tonight,” Campbell explained about his mount, who has now notched victories in the Oakville, divisions of both the Robert Stewart and Champlain, to go along with two other stakes dashes south of the border. “She was very professional (tonight). She didn’t have any trouble with her gait; she was getting over the track well and just did everything that she was supposed to do.”

After sitting in the pocket throughout the mile, Possess The Magic fired home in the four-wide lane very well for Lachance, but ran out of real estate. Driver Brian Sears and Michelles Angel were second-over off the final turn, but settled for third, 7½ lengths back of Pampered Princess. Armbro Equinox and CCs Caseys Dream picked up the final cheques.

“She beat a very respectable filly (in Possess The Magic),” Takter said afterward about Pampered Princess, who is out of the Donerail mare Bold Dreamer, making her a half sister to 2005 O’Brien Award winner Was It A Dream. “This girl is very classy and her results speak for themselves.” (WEG)

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