Wedding Toast much the best in Ruffian

Wedding Toast registered her second graded stakes victory in the Ruffian (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Passed the proverbial baton by her tiring stablemate Via Strata (Street Cry) entering the stretch of the $250,000 Ruffian (G2) at Belmont Park on Saturday, Wedding Toast (Street Sense) ran with it and came home a decisive winner of the one-mile test for fillies and mares under Jose Lezcano. A tracking fourth as Via Strata set fractions of :23 2/5 and :46 2/5, Wedding Toast was ready to pounce as Via Strata yielded a head lead to Princess Violet (Officer) after three-quarters in 1:10 1/5. The latter proved no match for Wedding Toast, who opened up late to win by four lengths in a time of 1:34 4/5 over a fast track. The Godolphin-owned entry, both of whom are trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, paid $3.30 as the 3-5 favorite. “I had a really good trip,” Lezcano said. “My filly broke good, and (I know) the two other fillies would be going (Via Strata and Princess Violet) so I wanted to make sure I got a good spot and we did. We sat in third and she gave me the race. The last two times, she gave me so much and the last time, she was a little rushed. Today was all about getting her to relax. She’s a great filly and she performed well today.”

Princess Violet held second, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of House Rules (Distorted
Humor). Shayjolie (Indian Charlie), Via Strata, and Macha (Majestic Warrior)
completed the order of finish.

This was the fourth career stakes win, and second graded, for Wedding Toast,
who took the Comely (G3) at Aqueduct in November 2013. Her two minor stakes wins
occurred in the $100,000 Belle Cherie at Belmont prior to the Comely, and the
$60,000 Miami Shores H. at Gulfstream January 15. She was third in the February
21 Rampart (G3) and fourth in the Madison (G1) leading up to this. Her record
now stands at 10-6-2-1, $644,956.

“One turn, middle distance races suit her,” McLaughlin said. “The (Ogden
Phipps [G1] at Belmont June 6) is 1 1/16 miles, so we’ll probably look at that.
She can go two turns, but she started off short this year — successfully — so
we tried her a couple times. Now that this worked out we’ll keep her at a mile
and up.”

Bred in Kentucky by Darley, Wedding Toast was reared by Golden Sheba
(Coronado’s Quest), a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner and dual
classic-placed Congaree (Arazi), and Grade 1-placed stakes winner Sangaree
(Awesome Again).

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com