Wedding Toast holds in Comely

Wedding Toast was game in victory (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Godolphin Racing’s Wedding Toast stretched her win streak to three in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Comely at Aqueduct, but not before a few anxious moments for her supporters. The heavy favorite withstood a serious late challenge from Toasting to prevail in her graded stakes debut, improving her career record to four for five with the hard-fought victory. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and ridden by Javier Castellano, Wedding Toast made all the pace in the 1 1/8-mile test for three-year-old fillies, establishing early splits of :23 4/5, :48 and 1:11 4/5 on about a one-length cushion. The dark bay daughter of Street Sense turned for home with a clear lead, but Toasting was rapidly advancing from the back of the pack and accelerated widest of all off the far turn. The oncoming rival appeared poised to rally past Wedding Toast in midstretch, but the leader dug in gamely as both fillies drifted out toward the middle of the track.

Wedding Toast had enough in the end to save the win by a head, stopping the
teletimer in 1:49 4/5 on the fast track.

“She sometimes doesn’t break so well, but today she broke well and
(Castellano) put her on the lead,” McLaughlin said. “She was very game.

“It looked like the other filly was going to go right by her, but she dug in
and showed a lot of gameness. We won a tough photo. She’s a very nice filly.
We’ll discuss plans for her.”

Favored at 3-5, Wedding Toast returned a paltry win mutuel of $3.40.

“I’m really proud of the way she did it today,” said Castellano, who was
winning his fourth race of the day at Aqueduct. “I put her on the lead and she
fought all the way.

“At the top of the stretch it looked like (Toasting) was going to go by, but
she kept fighting. She didn’t want to get beat today.”

Toasting, a 32-1 outsider in the nine-horse field, finished 5 1/4 lengths
clear of Teen Pauline in third.

My Happy Face, Galloping Giraffe, Flash Forward, Sky Girl, Sheer Drama and
Marathon Lady came next under the wire. Street Girl was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by Darley, Wedding Toast is the first foal to race from the
unraced Coronado’s Quest mare Golden Sheba, a half-sister to multiple Grade 1
winner and $3.2 million earner Congaree and Grade 1-placed stakes victor
Sangaree. The 11-year-old broodmare has also produced a yearling filly by
Birdstone and a weaning filly by Niagara Causeway.

Wedding Toast finished second when making her career debut against maiden
special weight rivals at Belmont Park in mid-June and captured her second start
at Saratoga in late July. She posted a 14-length runaway victory over optional
claiming rivals on September 11 and was exiting a 3 1/2-length tally in the
October 25 Belle Cherie, both starts coming at Belmont.

With Saturday’s $240,000 payday, Wedding Toast has now earned $411,200.

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