Stars to Shine holds Upperline in Trillium; Just Got In takes My Dear

Stars to Shine would not be denied in the Trillium (Courtesy of WEG/Michael Burns Photography)

A determined Stars to Shine held off a rallying Upperline to win the $97,795
Trillium
Stakes on Sunday’s Queen’s Plate undercard at Woodbine. Stars to Shine,
ridden by Alex Solis and trained by Mark Frostad for The Grange House
Partnership, rushed to the lead through the far turn of the 1 1/8-mile event and
held sway as the trio of Upperline, Smart Penny and Maristar tried and failed to
reel her in.

Euro Platinum led the seven-horse field through moderate fractions, marking a
quarter in :24 3/5 and a half in :49 1/5, with Smart Penny and Stars to Shine
hot on her heels. As the field entered the far turn, Stars to Shine and Rock the
Moon overtook the pacesetter as the rest of the field began their run.

Stars to Shine put away Rock the Moon but needed all of her reserve to stave
off defending champion and even-money favorite Upperline by a nose in a final
time of 1:51 1/5 over the Polytrack. Smart Penny, a half-length in arrears of
Upperline, earned show money by a head over Maristar.

Frostad was impressed with the strong ride from his rider to hold off
Upperline in the late stages of the race.

“He’s sat on her a few times now and he did a great job with her,” the
trainer commented.

Just Got In lived up to her 4-5 favoritism in the My Dear (Courtesy of WEG/Michael Burns Photography)

Just Got In, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Songandaprayer, went postward the
4-5 favorite with Christopher Griffith aboard, but was immediately pressured
from the start by Ju Ju Eyeballs, the 3-1 second choice, as the fillies zipped
through an opening quarter in :21 3/5. They were still going at it turning for
home, after a half in :45, before Just Got In began to draw clear of her
pursuer.

However, Lake Dancer and Luis Contreras mounted a furious rally in deep
stretch to just miss, as Just Got In prevailed by a diminishing neck in a final
time of :59 for five furlongs on the Polytrack. Longshot Evangeline’s Hope
closed stoutly along the rail for third while Ju Ju Eyeballs faded to fourth.

“To be honest, it felt like we were going too fast,” Griffith said. “I was
trying to get my filly to relax and slow down a little bit. But she wouldn’t
have any part of it, so we just had to go on with it. Luckily, she held on. She
was very tired but she kept fighting right to the wire.”

“Her first race was like a breeze. She never got a test. She won by herself
in hand,” said the jockey’s brother, trainer Ricky Griffith. “We had a little
setback with her this week. And we were kind of on the fence whether we were
going to make it (run in the My Dear) or not. But things worked out. She’s got
some class.”