Ramona Hill flashed impressive gate speed to open the 2019 Breeders Crown, presented by Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, and overcome her outside post position to win the $786,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot on Friday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Andrew McCarthy, Ramona Hill overcame post 10 for a bounce-back score in 1:53.2.
After winning her first five starts and finishing third in her Breeders Crown elimination last week, Ramona Hill returned $31.80 for a 14-1 upset over elimination winner Sister Sledge (Yannick Gingras) and the favoured Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears).
Ramona Hill fired off the gate from post 10 and crossed to command by the first turn, opening up a quick three-length lead with Sister Sledge in the pocket and fellow elimination winner Ms Savannah Belle, with Tim Tetrick picking up the mount, getting away third ahead of Hypnotic AM.
"I've never asked her to do it because usually she was always the best and I could take my time getting there," said McCarthy, who was not surprised by the filly's quick turn of foot. "But I knew with the 10-hole today I had to try to make something happen because there was some classy fillies inside of me -- I know they can all get off the gate. I just said inside my head I was just going to line her up and get her out of there and not worry about it for the first eighth and see where I'm at, and it looked like I was about three lengths in front so it worked out great."
Ramona Hill trotted the first quarter in :27 before Hypnotic AM made a power move on the backstretch and took over command on the way past the half-mile mark in :56. May Baby (James Yoder) was left first-up with Ms Savannah Belle tracking her cover.
Hypnotic AM raced by three-quarters in a record 1:23.4 and turned for home with May Baby looming before she flattened out. However, Ramona Hill sprinted out of the pocket and drew off in deep stretch for the four-length victory. Sister Sledge edged out Hypnotic AM for the runner-up honours with a from-last Madame Sherry (Matt Kakaley) closing in between for fourth at odds of 133-1.
Wine Rack Hanover (Sylvain Filion) finished fifth followed by Dip Me Hanover (David Miller), Ms Savannah Belle, May Baby, Violet Stride (Tyler Buter) and Shishito (Dexter Dunn).
"It feels terrific," said McCarthy after earning his first Breeders Crown trophy. "Breeders Crown, it's always a special one to win. Even down in Australia, the Breeders Crowns are so prestigious, it's just such a thrill to win one.
"It [the 10-hole] was less than ideal, but it's a still a win. It's only a number. She's so talented, she just wasn't quite herself last week and that's how game she is. Any other horse probably would have made a break when she put in that bad step behind the gate [in her elimination], and she came back trotting and I couldn't believe it. Tony's done a great job, made a few little adjustments and she was slick today. Well, you saw how fast she left the gate and I was backing her down well before the turn. We know how much speed she's got and Tony did a great job getting her ironed out. She was very smooth and good gaited and pleasant today."
The Muscle Hill-Lock Down Lindy filly, who was a back-to-back Grand Circuit stakes winner at The Red Mile before shipping across the border for the Breeders Crown, is owned by Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. and Robert Leblanc of Austin, Texas, along with New York's In The Gym Partners and breeder Crawford Farms.
"She is something special and, you know, when we got the 10-hole, all of us still had a lot confidence in this filly," said Leblanc. "We knew if she could leave and get position that she would be in there at the end and, boy, I'll tell you, what a nice thrill.
"And we think she's going to get even better so this is a lot of fun. Being here at Mohawk and in Canada, where I was from, makes it even that much more special. To think I won a Breeders Crown, I'm going to floating for days."