Weekend Romance Wins First Stake In Passing Mood

Weekend Romance held off Sinister Quill to capture Saturday's Passing Mood Stakes at Woodbine. Photo: Caitlyn Campbell / At The Post

Weekend Romance won her third race in a row and captured her first stakes win with a half-length victory over Sinister Quill in Saturday's $125,000 Passing Mood Stakes at Woodbine. Weekend Romance and Sinister Quill completed the Old Forester exactor in the seven furlong turf sprint for Ontario-sired three-year-old fillies.

Weekend Romance broke from the gate well and immediately took the early lead along the backstretch, opening up a half-length on longshots Charming Beauty and Zee Beauty in an opening quarter of 22.40. Weekend Romance would pull away from the two longshots in the turn and opened up a two and a half length lead at the top of the stretch, in a spirited half mile time of 44.59.

With a safe lead in hand, Weekend Romance was able to hold off a strong late charge from Sinister Quill and Emile Ramsammy to capture her first career stakes victory by half a length. Medabuck made a late run to finish third, while Burmah Star finished fourth.

"She's a very, very fast filly," said Weekend Romance's trainer Catherine Day Phillips. "She jumped on the bridle and was very aggressive today. I think Luis [Contreras] was a little surprised with how quick, and how aggressive, she actually was. It was a long stretch."

Ridden for the first time by Woodbine's leading jockey, Luis Contreras, Weekend Romance won her third race in a row and fourth in six starts in the Passing Mood. In her six career starts, Weekend Romance has never finished out of the money, with four wins, one second and one third. She has now earned $210,180 for owners Annecchini & D'Alimonte Holdings Inc. & Kingfield R/S Ltd.

Weekend Romance paid $3.10, $2.20 and $2.10 to her backers as the 1-2 favourite in the race, and combined with Sinister Quill ($2.90, $2.20) for a $6.30 (4-5) exactor. A 4-5-1 (Medabuck, $2.90 to show) triactor was worth $18.00.

Posted in: Woodbine